joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
 Free trial for 30 days
   jwSpamSpy
Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "CHRISTOPHER OWEN" <financecode@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: financecode@yahopo.com
Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 20:54:43 +0200
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED.



Dear Sir/Madam

I send this mail to you with due respect. CHRISTOPHER OWEN is my
name, I am the secretary to the Honorable Minister of finance in
Ivory coast(Abidjan),I am presently here in Europe searching for an
investor who is capable of handling this transaction.

I want to confirm, if you can collect on behalf of my boss the sum
of $18,000,000 million in your country, the depositor cannot be
traced for some years now by the contract approval department of
the coffee exporting, before the war.

If you can work with us in this business, please do send your full
name and contact phone number for discussion on how to transfer
the money to your care, and also to discuss on your commission as
my boss the honourable minister, due to his position is not
disposed to act publicly in matters of this nature and as such I am
acting on his behalf with his absolute approval.

Upon the receipt of your mail, indicating your interest to help me in this
Transaction I will then send to you all the necessary documents to buttress
The bonafide nature of this transaction. Kindly responds to my proposal through my alternative e-mail account: financecode@yahoo.com <mailto:financecode@yahoo.com> . On the receipt of your mail, I want to assure you that there is no risk attacked in this transaction.
You can contact me with my personal number; +34-695-041-646. Am looking
Forward to your prompt reply in this regards.


Yours sincerely,
CHRISTOPHER OWEN.


Anti-fraud resources: