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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: pat_madu@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 11:33:16 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?HELLO=2CFROM=20MATERNITE=20LAGUNE?=

MATERNITE LAGUNE
C/118 Atinkanmey Cotonou,
REP DU BENIN.
email: emekk2003@yahoo.co.uk


Attn:
Dear Friend,

I have a business proposal, which I know might interest you. My name is
Dr.Pat Madu a medical doctor and the sole proprietor of the above specialist
hospital. I have a widow by name mrs joyos martins here in my clinic who
is on a political asylum in Cotonou, Rep Du Benin, Refugee Camp, she has
been so ill for some couple of months now.

This woman confided in me based on the free medical attention I have been
giving her and her children. She had revealed to me of her life history
and about her late husband who was a top military officer in one of the
West African country (Sierra-Leone) before his death during the civil war
and the fortune she inherited from her late husband. She has asked me to
source a credible and trustworthy partner abroad who will manage her funds
for investment, the sum of Fifteen million US Dollars (US$15m) which her
late husband deposited in a safe Security Company based in BENIN REP.

I wish to choose you for this venture and I believe you will be in the position
to assist in managing this large sum in a profitable venture and also to
help create a safe heaven for her and her children by making a residencial
arrangement for them in your country.

After she had disclosed this information to me; I saw the reason to request
from her to allow me see the documents relating to this deposit of which
she did, now I have the documents covering the deposit.

I am obliged to assist this lady knowing too well that she has a limited
knowledge in the business world and as such she cannot manage this funds
herself here in Africa in order to avoid any trace of her by the government.
I will need from you a mutual understanding and then we shall make plans
on how the funds would be secured into an account in your name after which
you will arrange and travel down here immediately to meet with the security
company for release. This amount is contained in a sealed trunk box and
it is registered and declared as containing family treasures, so even as
I am writing you now the security company is not aware that this trunk contains
money in cash.

Let me assure you that this transaction is 100% hitch-free and risk-free.
From my discussion with her, she has agreed to give you 25% of the total
sum and 5% will be set aside to cover all expenses incurred during the transaction,
then the remaining 70% will be invested with you for a big profit. This
has to be discussed upon the receipt of your quick response.

Thanks and God bless for your understanding.
Sincere regards,

Dr.Pat Madu
(On Behalf of the family)






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