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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: thomassikhaka@executivemail.co.za
Reply-To: thomassikhala@executivemail.co.za
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 05:32:27 +0200
Subject: partnership request

From Mr. Thomas Sikhala
Johannesburg South Africa
Telephone: +27837524329

With due respect and regard, I have decided to contact you on a Business Transaction that will be very beneficial to both of our families and us in future. I am Mr. Thomas Sikhala, financial adviser to one Deceased Mr. Morris Thompson 61 years, of Fairbanks, Alaska America who died on January 31st 2000 with Alaska Airlines Flight 261.You can as well confirm it by yourself through under stated Website of the incident
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/ you can view more about the man himself, http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html
Before the death of my client, Mr. Morris Thompson, he made a huge deposit of U.S $5.5m (Five Million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars), with VFS financial and security services SA. He did not disclose to the company that the box which he deposited with them for safe keeping contained money for security reasons. He only revealed the contents to me in confidence. Before the deposit, the VFS financial and security services SA worth the value of the deposit for insurance and he declared the value as (Five Million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars) only. The box was insured and he paid for the insurance for 4 years.

As the deposit has been dormant in vault with VFS financial and security services SA without any claim of the fund in their custody either from his family, relation or business partner, because he did not indicate any next of kin to this deposit incase of death such as these. The deposit is now over due for collection as it has exceeded the 4 years contract agreement with the company. VFS financial and security services SA called me and sent me a security statement to my address as his financial adviser and informed me to contact my client for collection of his deposit or else make a renewal of the contract. I replied VFS financial and security services SA and informed them that Mr. Morris Thompson is dead. I also informed them that I would get his partner to come for the collection of the deposit, which they have agreed but informed me that the partner must provide some proof of beneficiary before the deposit can be released to him or her.
Meanwhile, I have in my possession all the necessary documents to perfect this deal by making you the bona-fide Partner whom this fund will be released to. It will be sent to you as you respond back.

I need your assistance and co-operation to get this deal done. Because as a foreigner, you stand a better position to be presented through documentation as the Partner since the deceased is also a foreigner, this is the reason why I could not do this deal alone as a South African citizen.
Kindly send me all your company/individual profiles to enable me start the processing of the release of the deposit to you as the foreign partner. Include your complete names, phone and fax numbers and physical address as well for safe and profitable executions of the transaction.
The sharing modalities of the deposit after the transfer of the fund to your bank account will be discussed as we progress. We will take safe steps regarding the transaction and no risk will be involved, as the documentation will be completed legally. Thank you.
Best regards,
Mr. Thomas Sikhala

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