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: "Kwame Odoh" <kwameodoh@email.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: kwameodo@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 18:15:46 +0000
Subject: For your consideartion

Hello Dear,
I am kwame Odoh, a Staff of international commercial bank ghana (I.C.B), I head the Audit Department. During the course of the end of year auditing, I discovered that a certain amount has remained unclaimed. I discovered that this amount belongs to one Mr. Greg Lelyton of USA who died in a ghastly motor accident along Accra- Kumasi that occured some time in Ghana. And he left no next of Kin to contact to inherit his account.
He has left a total of US$2,550,000.M Dollars in his account with our bank, since nobody has appeared as his next of kin.We tried to contact the American Embassy and no trace of his next of kin.
I now want to use this opportunity to contact you to front as the next of kin, by providing an account where we can secure this money and use it for investment purposes. For providing this account, you will be compensated with 30% of the total value. We will use 10% to offset all charges that may arise in the cost of this transaction, 60% will be for
investment into any lucreative business with high profit margin and good turnover rate under your management and supervision.
Therefore,if you are interested and capable of handling a business of this magnitude, do not hesitate to acknowledge my mail urgently as I have all the logistics to commence the treansfer on provision of the receiving bank/account expected from you.
I will use my official position in the bank to ensure that due approvals are granted for the remittance to your account. This business is risk free and can be concluded within 14 bank working days from the date of your approval to the date of remittance, but for my
security and my job position this must be kept highly confidential.
All I need from you is your address/telephone/fax/mobile lines banking particulars for easier communication. I expect to hear from you soon.
NB.
Please nobody knows about this business except you and I therefore you are required to maintain absolutely confidentiality in this transaction.
My regards to you and your family. Awaiting your immediate responds.
Thanks and God bless.
Best regard,
Mr Kwame Odoh.


Anti-fraud resources: