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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: "Aliyu Ahmed.jnr." <aliyu_ahm2@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 11:35:29 +0400
Subject: Aliyu Ahmed.jnr.

Dear one
I am Mr Aliyu Ahmed the son of Dr Ibrahim Ahmed the former deputy
finance minister under the ousted civilian government in Sierra Leone.
My father was killed and mutilated by the military junta led by Major
Paul Koroma after over throwing the elected government of President
Tejan Kabba.
Though, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events
disturbances in Sierra leone, but the,pressure of war drove me and my mother
out of Sierra Leone into exile in South Africa.Where we have been
living under political asylum for three years.
Sadly, my mother died of cancer three [3] months ago and was buried
here in South Africa. Prior to her death, she handed over to me a
certificate meant for a secret deposit which my father made in a
security/finance company in South Africa.
This deposit is worth [US $ 9.000.000.00] Nine Million United States Dollars only. And this money is in cash.
My father made this deposit in the heat of the conflict then in my
country, with the hope to convert it[money] to his personal use at the end
of the war, unfortunately he was killed when the conflict intensified
as result of his opposition to the rebel forces.
After my mother's funeral, I contacted the security company to confirm
this deposit and establish ownership
Presently, this sum of U.S$9,000,000.00 (nine million dollars) is
currently being deposited in a security vault in . I am seeking
for your honest and sincere participation in the retrievement and reinvestment of this
money.
I cannot do it alone due to my complete ignorance of the business
world, more over I am only 27 years old I will give you a negotiable
percentage of the principal sum in deposit if you assist me to retrieve and
reinvest this money in any profitable area of business in your country.
Please, I need your assistance urgently, because the more this
consignment is still with the company, the more the demurrage accumulates.
Contact me through the same email address.
God Bless You,
Thanks yours
Aliyu Ahmed.jnr.


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