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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: Benson tom <benson_tom005@yahoo.com.sg>
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 08:38:41 +0800 (CST)
Subject: URGENT HELP PLEASE


From: Tom Benson
Monrovia, Liberia

Dear Beloved,



I am a native of Liberia and I lost my father, mother and two sisters with our family house during this recent war raging in Liberia. I am alive writing you now from Nigeria where I and other lucky victims who escaped alive from the rebel attack are like refugees. No house, no good food, no good job and I just getting assistance from well meaning individuals and a couple of Nigerians who came back from Liberia too.

Before my father's sudden death, he deposited a conssignment labelled as GOLD & DIAMOND but consealed in it is the sum of US$27,000,000.00 (Twenty Seven Million US Dollars) in cash with a Private security vault overseas in Monrovia but the consignment, for safety of the funds, was later moved oveaseas to their affiliate agents in Zurich, Switzerland via diplomatic means, which he intended to use for Politics. While my father was alive he explained to me that he had such fund and had to keep it in a security company abroad due to the unstable polity in Liberia and considering that he is a politician, he would not want the Government to seize the money if deposited into the bank in Liberia.

Now that he is late and am the only surviving son, I am writing you to assist me receive this money in your country, invest it in a profitable business and help relocate me to join you immediately. As a result of insecurity of life and property here, I do not want to stay in Africa any longer. You have my permission/authority to have/collect 20% of the funds on receiving it, for your timely assistance.
Please indicate your readiness to assist me immediately so that all the information about this fund will be passed to you immediately. Send to me immediately the following information:


1. Your full legal names including contact address
2. Your mobile telephone and fax numbers for easy communication
3. Date of birth, sex and marital status for documentation purposes.
As soon as I receive your call or reply mail I shall forward your information to the Finance firm overseas to contact you for the delivery of the consignment to you as my proxy. Thereafter you shall help me relocate to your country as I am sick and tired of the unrest in Africa. I shall send you the Power of Attorney to present to the Finance/security Firm as we proceed, as demanded by them. With the help of symapatizer I was able to secure a phone which is very important for me at this stage to enable me transact this important business for which I am contacting you.
Please reply me immediately you receive this mail via my Private,

E-mail:tom_benson_005@zwallet.com

Your friend in need,
Tom Benson
Tel: +234-1-7769834





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