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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: "Vincent Themba" <vincent521@vinmail.net>
Reply-To: fidelnkosi@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:27:18 +0000
Subject: Re: For your kind consideration!

MR. VINCENT THEMBA
Personal Assistant to the Director, Project Implementation
South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy,
Pretoria, RSA.
Tel: 011-882-164-668-8278
Fax: 011- 27-11-507-5685
Email: vincent521@vinmail.net
Email: fidelnkosi@yahoo.com

Attention: The Administrator/CEO

REFERENCE: AN INVESTMENT PROPOSAL

I am Mr. Vincent Themba, Personal Assistant to the Director Of Project
Implementation, South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy. I am making
this contact with you, based on the superior’s need for an
individual/company who is willing to assist in the execution of this deal.

I have decided to seek a confidential cooperation with you in the execution
of this deal described here under for the benefit of all parties and hope
you will keep it as a top secret, because of the nature of this transaction.
Within the Department of Mineral and Energy, where I work as a Perosnal
Assistant to Director of Project Implementation and with the good
cooperation of four other top officials, we have in our possession as over
due payment bills, totaling Fourteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars (US$14,500,000) which we want to transfer abroad with the
assistance and cooperation of a foreign individual or company to receive
the said funds on our behalf.

More so, we are handicap in these circumstances, as the South African Civil
Services code of conduct does not allow us to operate an offshore account.
Hence your importance in this transaction.

This amount $14.5Million represents the balance of the total contract value
executed on behalf of my department by a Foreign Contracting Firm, which we
the Officials over invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost
has been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of
the said amount, Which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key
Tested Telegraphic Transfer K.T.T. to any foreign bank account you will
provide by filing an application through the Department of Justice here in
South Africa, for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former
contractor to you.

I have the authority of my boss/partners involved to propose that you should
be willing to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum shall be
US$3m of the $14.5Million.


The deal it self is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat it with
utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also, your area of specialization is not
a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction.

I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint
me. I want to assure you that my partner and myself are in the position to
make the payment of this claim possible, provided that you can give us a
very strong assurance and guarantee that the funds will be secured and
please, remember to teat this matter very confidential, because we will not
comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government
service.

Please, endeavour to channel your response directly to my private email
address as mentioned above.

Be informed that this number was specifically secured for this transaction,
for easy communication and quick access.

Once again, remember that time is of great essence in this transaction.

I wait in anticipation your response

Warmest Regards,

Vincent Themba


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