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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: "Mr. Frank Manaka." <frankmakan@cotas.net> (may be fake)
Reply-To: manaka@cotas.net
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 19:01:26 +0100
Subject: Re:Prosperous New Year.

REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS CO-OPERATION.

From: Mr. Frank Manaka.

Dear Sir,

I am making this chance contact with you in the hope that we will achieve a mutually benefitting relationship in this regard.

I am a member of an audit committee in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and we are presently reviewing contracts awarded to foreign firms by the past managements of NNPC between 1988 to 1999.

The NNPC is a Nigerian Government owned Oil Company solely responsible for the worldwide sale of the Nigerian Crude (Bonny-light which is equivalent to the North Sea Brent) and accounts for over 85% of Nigeria's National Income.

NATURE AND SIZE OF FUNDS.

In the course of our review of these contract records; my colleagues and I have secured the sum of Twenty Three Million United States of America Dollars from the contracts under review. This amount is now successfully positioned in the NNPC records as outstanding contract payment owed to a foreign contractor and it is our desire to cause this money to be paid to a foreigner whom we will front as the rightful foreign contractor and beneficiary.

MY PROPOSAL.

As we have perfected the modalities to achieve a hitch free and risk free operation to realize our desire, I ask you to participate and be the foreigner. We intend to follow the normal rules, procedures and processes outlined for payment to a foreign contractor and we hope to cause payment to be effected to your accounts within 14 working days as the foreign contractor.

We have therefore agreed to:
(1) Ask for your full participation/assistance. (2) Use your account for this transfer. (3) Give you a share of 30% while we benefit 70% from your account. A corporate or personal account will be appropriate and it does not matter whether it has any money in it or not.

Finally, I thank you for your anticipated co-operation while I await your urgent response to this proposal as timing is a very important tool to the success of this transaction.

Endeavor also to keep this to yourself only so as to sustain the confidential nature of this opportunity. Please reply only to e-mail: frankmakan@myway.com or call 234-80-45-42-49-94.

Yours faithfully,
MR. FRANK MANAKA.


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