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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: "PAUL KUNENE" <paul_kunene@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 16:26:19 +0200
Subject: PERSONAL

Accounting Department,
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK.

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. PAUL MABUZA, Auditor, with Accounting Department, African
Development Bank. I got your very good name and e-mail address from the
online classified posted on the net. I have decided to contact you purely on
the personal conviction of trust and confidence that we can co-operate with
one another and do a very lucrative business for our mutual benefit. The
Business I am proposing to you is in respect of the sum of US$25.500,000.00
(Twenty five Million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars Only)
deposited in Dollar account with my bank which belonged to Mr. Smith B.
Andreas who died on 25th July, 2000 in an auto accident, is an Engineering
contractor. My bank has made several efforts at contacting the family of MR.
Smith B.Andreas or his relatives, but all have proved abortive as he had no
identifiable kin's men. This sum of US$25.5M has remained unclaimed ever
since then and nobody has come forward as his next of kin.

The management under the influence of our chairman and member of the board
of directors has made an arrangement for the fund to be declared
'UNCLAIMABLE' and subsequently be turned to the reserve account of the bank.
It is against the background of the foregoing, that I and my colleague in
the bank have decided to contact you for assistance and partnership, for you
to stand as the next of kin to Mr. Smith B.Andreas. With your permission
this fund will be transferred to your private account abroad as the
beneficiary and next of kin to Mr. Smith B.Andreas.

All proof of claim and necessary documentation will be carefully worked out
in your favor and we assure you of 100% risk free involvement and
protection. Consequently, if you find this proposal acceptable to you and
you wish to assist us, I expect your urgent response and upon receipt of
that, we shall discuss and agree on the disbursement and sharing ratio. Now
my questions are:-
1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can I give you this trust?
3. What will be your commission? If you can sponsor this transfer.
Let me therefore expect your very urgent response through my e-mail
addresses. Please endeavor to include your private phone and fax number and
also your private e-mail where available. Please keep this proposal very
secret and confidential. You can get back to me on this email address-:
mabuza_p07adb@yahoo.com

Thank you and best regards as I await your urgent response.

Yours Faithfully,
PAUL MABUZA



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