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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: "MRS MARIA LUZA" <maria_luza40@yahoo.ca> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 02:18:40 -0700
Subject: cry for help


MRS MARIA LUZA
FAX:
EMAIL:maria_luza40@yahoo.ca

ATTN:THE DIRECTOR,
With due respect, trust and humility, I write you this proposal, which I
believe it will be a great interest to you. I found your contact while I
was doing a private research on the Internet for a reliable and capable
foreign partner that will assist me and my family. That's why I contacted
you. I am Mrs.Maria Luza the wife of Mr. Morris Luza of Zimbabwe. During
the current war against farmers in Zimbabwe and from the support of our
president Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our
country,all the white and black farmers were ordered to surrender their
farms to his party members and his followers.
My husband was one of the best farmers in our country, and also the treasurer of the farmer's co-operation.Owing to the fact that the association did not support his idea and so the party members invaded my husband's farms and burnt everything in the farm,
Killed my husband and made away with a lot of items in my husband's farm.
Before my husband died in the hospital he revealed to me of a trunk box
containing $22.6M (TWENTY TWO MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS)
which he deposited in a Security/deposit house here in Zimbabwe. Due to
the numerous treats, which they pose on my children and I, we decided to
move out of Zimbabwe because our lives were in danger to take refugee in
Ghana. With the assistance of the operation manager of the Security
Company who revealed to me of their sister company in Ghana the
consignment was transferred to Ghana for security reasons easy claiming
and clearance.
Now the original agreement which is with me stated that a
foreign partner must be a signatory to documents relating to the
retrieving and release of the consignment of which no name was mentioned
and the consignment was deposited as a valuable items containing family
treasure and achieves. So this is what prompted me to contact you for
assistance to bring the trunk box out from the Security company/deposit
for onward transfer to your account in any designated interest of yours.
We decided to solicit your help. So if you consider this proposal worth
doing indicate your interest.
We have agreed to give you 30% of the total
sum for helping us to move this money out to the country of your choice.
And 5% will be mapped out for expenses both of us may incure during this
transaction and 65% is for my family to be invested in your country. NOTE:
That this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutely confidential.
Thanks and God bless you.
cry for help
Regard:
MARIA LUZA (MRS)
FOR THE FAMILY




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