joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "PRINCESS FAYAD BOLKIAH" <princessfayad3@excite.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: princessfay33@gaza.net
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2004 06:51:15 -0800
Subject: REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE



Attn: Sir,

I am contacting you for an urgent assistance to mobilise a business
transaction and further to have explicit investment information about
your country from you. I am Princess Fayad Bolkiah, the wife of Prince
Jefri Bolkiah, former Finance Minister of Brunei, the tiny oil-rich
sultanate.

I will save your time by not amplifying my extended royal family
history, which has already been disseminated by the international media
during the controversial dispute that erupted between my husband and
his stepbrother, the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda Hassanal Bolkiah.
As you may know from the international media, the sultan had accused my
husband of financial mismanagement and impropriety of US$14.8 Billion
dollars. This was as a result of the Asian financial crisis that made
my husband's company Amedeo Development Company and government owned

Brunei Investment Company to be declared bankrupt during his tenure in
office.

However my husband is in jail now, his bank accounts and private
properties including a crude oil export refinery have been confiscated
by the sultanate.

Furthermore, during this unfortunate period i was advised to evacuate
my immediate family outside the sultanate to avoid further prosecution
from the sultan and his security operatives, but luck ran against me on
my attempt to escape.I am now kept under house arrest by the Sultan and
i have no access to a phone but I have a Palm V hand-held computer from
which I am sending you this mail. Before my incarceration, I went ahead
to dispatch the sum of Three Hundred Million United States Dollars
US$300 Million under special arrangement into the custody of different
Trustee companies for safe keeping abroad.This action was on the orders
of my husband to me to enable us start a new life.

The money were splitted and kept in the following countries in this
proportion:US$150 Million is in Euroupe, US$100 Million is in Middle
East and US$50 Million is in Asia respectively. Hence I seek your good
assistance to invest these funds into profitable investment in your
country to facilitate future survival for my family abroad.I have
decided to offer 20% of these funds to you as compensation for your
strong cooperation.

Please I count on your absolute confidentiality, transparency and trust
while looking forward to your prompt reply towards a swift conclusion
of this business transaction.

Many Thanks & May Allah’s blessing remain with you,Amen.

I remain yours sincerely
Princess Fayad Bolkiah

NB:PLEASE ALSO COPY YOUR REPLY TO MY ALTERNATIVE E-MAIL ADDRESS:
princessfay33@gaza.net



Anti-fraud resources: