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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "stephen koseff" <koseffprivate2004@mail2world.com >
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 01:49:45 +0200
Subject: FROM :MR STEPHEN KOSEFF

FROM :MR STEPHEN KOSEFF
GREETINGS
I KNOW THIS WILL COME TO YOU AS A SUPRISE BUT
THE NEED TO INVOLVE A REALIABLE AND HONEST PERSON TO TRANSFER OUT
U.S.$72,500,000.00 FROM MY EMPLOYERS(INVESTEC BANK SOUTH AFRICA) HAS MADE
ME TO SEEK YOUR ASSISTANT BELIEVING THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN EITHER
NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.

I AM STEPHEN KOSEFF ,A STAFF OF INVESTEC
BANK,Z.A.JOHANESBURG,. THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPENED IN THIS BANK IN 1980 AND
SINCE 1994 NOBODY HAS OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN.

AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES IN THE RECORDS I DISCOVERED THAT IF I DO
NOT REMIT THIS MONEY OUT URGENTELY IT WILL BE FORFEITED FOR NOTHING. THE
OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT WAS MR DANIEL B. JONES A FORIGNER AND THE MANAGER OF
PRECIOUS STONES DRILLING SERVICES, A GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER BY PROFFESSION AND
HE DIED SINCE 1994. NO OTHER PERSON KNOWS ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING
CONCERNING IT, THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER BENEFICIARY AND MY INVESTIGATION
PROVED TO ME AS WELL THAT HIS COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS
ACCOUNT AND THE AMOUNT INVLOVED IS(US$72,500,000.00). I WANT

TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO A SAFE FOREIGN ACCOUNT ABROAD BUT I DON’T
KNOW ANY FOREIGNER.

I AM ONLY CONTACTING YOU AS A FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CAN NOT BE
APPROVED TO ANY LOCAL BANK HERE BUT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED FOR TRANSFER TO
ANY FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN U.S DOLLARS AND THE FOMER OWNER
OF THE ACCOUNT BEING MR DANIEL B. JONES WAS A FOREIGNER TOO.I KNOW THAT
THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DON’T KNOW OURSELVES
BEFORE, BUT I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS REAL AND A GENUINE BUSINESS.I
ONLY GOT YOUR CONTACT FROM THE INTERNET INTERNATIONAL TRADE DIRECTORY WITH
BELIEVE IN GOD THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN IN THIS BUSINESS, YOU ARE
THE ONLY PERSON THAT I HAVE CONTACTED FOR THIS BUSINESS FOR NOW. SO PLEASE
REPLY URGENTLY.,I WILL APPLY FOR MY RESIGNATION AFTER THE FUNDS HAS BEEN
TRANSFERED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THIS WILL ENABLE ME TO COME TO YOUR COUNTRY
AND COLLECT MY SHARE FROM YOU AND INVEST A GOOD PART OF IT IN YOUR COUNTRY
ON PROJECTS YOU WILL ADVISE ME AS LUCRATIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY . I AM
CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INVOLVE A FOREIGNER WITH A FOREIGN
ACCOUNT THAT WILL STAND-IN AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO MR.DANIEL B.JONES. I NEED
YOUR CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS WORK FINE, BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE
BANK IS READY TO APPROVE THIS PAYMENT TO ANY FOREIGNER WHO HAS THE CORRECT
INFORMATION TO THIS ACCOUNT WHICH I WILL GIVE TO YOU WHEN YOU ASSURE ME OF
YOUR

CAPABILITY TO HANDLE SUCH AMOUNT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND TRUST, ACCORDING
TO MY INSTRUCTIONS AND MY ADIVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT,I NEED YOUR STRONG
ASSURANCE AND TRUST.I SHALL DESTROY ALL DOCUMENT CONCERNING THIS
TRANSACTION IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVE THIS MONEY LEAVING NO TRACE TO ANY
PLACE. I WILL USE MY POSITION AND INFLUENCE ON OTHER CO-STAFF TO EFFECT
LEGAL APPROVALS AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH

APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE FROM PROBATE REGISTRY & FOREIGN PAYMENT
DEPARTMENT.WITH ASSURANCE THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE INTACT PENDING MY
PHYSICAL ARRIVAL IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE SHARING AND OTHER INVESTMENT. AT
THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BUSINESS,I WILL GIVE YOU 10% OF THE TOTAL AMMOUNT,I
SHALL TAKE 90% OF THIS MONEY.HOPING THAT THIS SHARING RATIO IS ACCEPTED BY
YOU,I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE.

YOURS TRULY,
MR STEPHEN KOSEFF



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