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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: "Akin Adelaja" <akindelaja@delajaonline.org>
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 21:21:55 +0000
Subject: Inquiry.

Dear Sir,

I know this message will come to you as a big surprise
because we have not met before, but please do not
think this is one of those scam or junk mails you
received in your email box/fax machine.

My name is Dr.Akin Adelaja, I am from the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and the chairman, Contract Award
Committee of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC). I have been on this position for the past ten
years; but I have nothing to show for it. I will love
it, if the both of us could do business together,
which will be of mutual benefit.

Since I am the Chairman Contract Award Committee, I
will award a Forty million US dollars ($40 million
USD) contract in your favour to supply Gas Turbines
and equipments. A Mobilization (up front) fee of
twenty million U.S Dollars ($20 million USD) will be
given to you to start the supply. But as soon as the
mobilization fees gets to your hands, you are not
going to do the supply.

You and myself will share this mobilization fee on a
50-50 basis (Equally). The reason why I want us to
share this start up fee is because I have been in this
position as the chairman for the past ten years, and I
don’t have a personal house of my own, my salary is a
peanut. I cannot adequately take care of my children.
In fact, things are very difficult for me. If I
retire, I will have nothing to fall back on. People
come sometimes to seek for favour from me and after
awarding them contracts; they’ll not remember me
again.

A lot of people promised and failed me. As a result of
this, I want to help my self this time because I’ll
not want to die a poor man. If we do this business
together, with your full co-operation and support, we
will successfully complete it within five days. I am
the person who will authorise the release the start up
fee to you.

You have nothing to fear. I want you to remove
anything like fear from your mind. This is the safest
business you can ever think of.

I will give you more information on how we are going
to do this business as soon as I receive your reply
showing that you are ready to do the business with me.
But please do not discuss this business with anybody,
even your best friends until we have finished
successfully.

I will want you to reply me immediately so that I can
tell you the next step to take. In your reply, please
include your full names,address,private telephone /
mobile and fax numbers.

Best Regards

Dr.Akin Adelaja.



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