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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: "Dr Hassan Aliou" <hassan_aliou101@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: hassanaliou2000@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 16:51:31 +0200
Subject: URGENT FROM DR HASSAN ALIOU

I am Dr.Hassan Aliou, before anything i ask if you can
be trusted, because one of my late friend deposited
the sum of US$3,000,000.00 in a Bank here in
France , and i went to the Bank in order to be
sure if the said fund is still with the Bank, and the
Bank here in France, has assured me not to be
worried about anything that all i needed is to forward
to them my full banking information where the said
fund will be transferred to, and i told them that my
Late friend did a contract in your country with you,
that before his death, he wrote a will that the sum of
US$3,000,000.00 should be transferred into your
account.
Furthermore, all i needed from you is truth and
honest, because i don’t want any delay in this
transaction, so as soon as you read my mail, do not
fail to reply me with your direct telephone and fax
number together with your full banking information so
it will enable me to forward it to the Bank for them
to notify you for onward transfer of the fund, for
your information, the sum of 30% will be for you, why
the balance 70% will be for me after the transferring
of the fund to your nominated Bank account.
Finally, i will be looking forward to read from you,
and please do not fail to reply on time, so the fund
can be transferred to you before the ending of this
week.
Thanks and God bless.
Yours Dr.Hassan Aliou



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