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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: "MD Micheal Huntley" <mdfinancehouse@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 01:13:25 +0100
Subject: Dear Freind

Dear friend,

I pray this mail meet you in soundness of body and
spirit.
Am in search of a honest person who will carefully act
as my front.

I am Dr Michael Huntley a MD of Commercial Finance
ltd U.K.
Am contacting you based on your reputation, and country
of origin that will be attached to this project.
As the MD of my branch,I realise that a late customer
money is unclaimed since he died 3years 1 months ago,and he's
from your country.
I have contacted you to assist in repartrating this
money left behind by our customer before they get confiscated
by our firm where he deposited the sum of US$25m(twenty five
million dollars), since our firm (Commercial Finance)
guidelines stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed for
over a period of time 3 years with the consignment
unservicable the money will be confiscated and this
will happen in the next few weeks if nobody comes for the deposited
consignment. Since we have not seen any body for the money for the last
three years and our bank has been notifying the notary club for the
past two years as nor of his relatives could be contacted,

I now seek your consent to act as my front based on your country of
origin,so that this consignment valued at US$25 million
dollars can be paid to you as the next of kins and then we can share
the money 60% to 40%.
I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law as the MD of Commercial Finance .

Upon your response,I will give you more informations
inclusive of our customers international passport and
driver's licence with the certificate of deposit that will enable you
become the benefitiary of the funds.


MD Michael Huntley.
(Commercial Finance)


Anti-fraud resources: