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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: "eric joshua" <ericjoshua2004@netscape.net> (may be fake)
Reply-To: ericjoshua@privateemail.com
Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2004 17:40:48 -0800
Subject: business

Tenders Committee
South Africa Department of Minerals & Energy
Pretoria South Africa
DIRECT PHONE: +871-763591470
DIRECT FAX: +871-763591471
CORPORATE TELEPHONE: +27-736627479
CORPORATE FAX: +27-115076482
STRICTLY URGENT & CONFIDENTIAL
I am DR. Eric Joshua, a native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am the Executive Director of the South African Government Ministry. I am also the Secretary of the Tenders Committee set up by the government to look into contracts under the Department of Minerals and Energy.
We got your contact from a close source and I was mandated to seek your Confidential co-operation in the execution of the project I am about to describe. First, I must let you know the major reason for this project. This project will be of great benefit to all parties involved and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction.
Within the Department of Minerals and Energy, we (me and four of my colleagues) discovered and we have in our possession as overdue payment totaling Fourteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars (US$14.5M) which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and cooperation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said fund. More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore accounts hence your relevance in the whole transaction. Also we cannot access The funds, because indigenous companies cannot carry out contracts of this magnitude.
This amount US$14.5M represents the balance of the total contract value executed on behalf of this Department by a foreign contracting firm, which was over-invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost have been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principle gotten approval to remit by key-tested telegraphic transfer (K.T.T.) to any foreign bank account you will provide by filing an application through the Justice Ministry here in South Africa for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you.
I have the authority of my partners to propose the following: SHOULD YOU BE WILLING to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum will be 25% of the total sum, 65% for us and 10% for reimbursable expenses (taxation and miscellaneous Expenses incurred.) This is after all expenses have been refunded and taxes have been paid. The transaction itself is 100%-SAFE for all involved.
This is possible if on your part you treat it as confidential and with the utmost secrecy it deserves. Please note that your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction. Hope that you will not disappoint us. I want to assure you that my partners and I are in a position to make the payment of this claim possible, provided you can give us a very strong assurance and guarantee that the funds will be secure.
Please remember to treat this matter as very confidential, because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active government service and will want to retire honorably.
DO FURNISH ME WITH YOUR CONTACT PHONE/FAX NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN PROGRESS FURTHER.
I wait in anticipation of your cooperation.
Yours faithfully,
Eric Joshua


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