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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "peter johnson" <pjohnson2006@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: johandersen@mail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 19:28:26 +0200
Subject: INVESTMENT

DEAR FRIEND,
MAY I CLAVE YOUR INDULGENCE TO SOLITCITE YOUR

CO-OPERATION IN A
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.ALTHOUGH AM SKETICAL TO DISCUSS THE

BUSINESS ON
THE INTERNET OWING TO A LOT OF UNSOLICITED/SPAM MAILS ON

THE NET THIS
DAY,BUT I WOULD BE GLAD TO DO SO IF YOU PROVIDE ME WITH

YOUR PRIVATE
EMAIL ADDRESS AND OF COURSE YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER

SO THAT I CAN
CALL YOU.I AM ONLY BE SKETICAL BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW YOU

IN PERSON,IF
YOU PROVIDE ME WITH DETAILS INFORMATION ABOUNT YOU,I

WILL BE MORE
CONFIDENT TO WRITE YOU AN EMAIL DETAIL OF THIS

TRANSACTION OR BETTER
STILL DISCUSS IT ON PHONE WITH YOU.THIS IS A PROPOSAL IN

CONTEXT BUT
ACTUALLY AN APPEAL SOLICITING FOR YOUR UNRESERVED

ASSISTANCE IN
CONSUMMATING AN URGENT TRANSACTION.BY WAY OF SUMMARIZED

PROFILE OF
MYSELF I AM Mr.JOHN ANDERSEN A HIGH PLACED OFFICIAL

WORKING WITH
THE MINISTRY HERE IN BANJUL, GAMBIA, WEST
AFRICA. MY DEPARTMENT (THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT) RUNS
INTO SEVERAL THOUSAND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MONTHLY.
MYSELF AND THREE OTHER COLLEAGUES IN THIS DEPARTMENT
ARE CURRENTLY IN NEEED OF A SILENT FOREIGN PARTNER
WHOSE BANK ACCOUNT WE CAN USE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF
EIGHTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS
(US$18,500,000.00). THIS FUND ACCRUED LEGITIMATELY
(BUT DISCRETELY) TO US AS COMMISSION FROM FOREIGN
CONTRACTS, THROUGH OUR PRIVATE CONNECTIONS.
THE FUND IS PRESENTLY WAITING TO BE REMITTED BY OUR
OFFSHORE FUNDS MANAGERS TO ANY FOREIGN BENEFICIARY
SUBMITTED BY US TO THEM AS THE RECEIVER OF THE FUND.
HOWEVER, BY VIRTUE OF OUR POSITIONS AS CIVIL SERVANTS
IN OUR COUNTRY, WE CANNOT ACQUIRE THIS MONEY IN OUR
NAMES.BECAUSE AS HIGH PLACED CIVIL SERVANTS, WE ARE
NOT ALLOWED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE CODE OF CONDUCT TO
OWN OR OPERATE BANK ACCOUNTS OUTSIDE OF OUR SHORES. ON
THE OTHER HAND, IT IS NOT SAFE FOR US TO KEEP THE
MONEY HERE DUE TO OUR UNSTABLE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.
I HAVE BEEN DELEGATED AS A MATTER OF TRUST BY MY
COLLEAGUES, TO LOOK FOR AN OVERSEAS SILENT PARTNER IN
WHOSE ACCOUNT WE WOULD TRANSFER THE US$18,500,000.00
FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT, HENCE THE REASON FOR THIS EMAIL.
WHAT I AM REQUESTING FROM YOU IS: (1) TO BE OUR SILENT
PARTNER AND RECEIVE THE FUNDS IN YOUR ACCOUNT IN
TRUST. (2) PROVIDE A BANK ACCOUNT UNDER YOUR CONTROL
TO WHICH THE FUNDS WILL BE REMITTED. (3) RECEIVE THE
FUNDS IN YOUR ACCOUNT, TAKE OUT YOUR COMMISSION AND
KEEP THE REST OF THE MONEY UNTIL I ARRIVE THERE TO
MEET YOU AFTER THE TRANSFER IS COMPLETED.
OUR PROPOSAL IS THAT AFTER YOU RECEIVE THE FUNDS, IT
WOULD BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: (1) 20% TO YOU AS
COMMISSION, WHILE THE EMAINING 80% BELONGS
TO
MYSELF AND THE TWO COLLEAGUES HERE. YOU WILL BE FREE
TO TAKE OUT YOUR COMMISSION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
FUNDS HIT YOUR ACCOUNT. SINCE OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO
INVEST THE MONEY IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE
APPRECIATED IF YOU CAN ALSO HELP US TO INVEST OUR OWN
MONEY INTO PROFITABLE VENTURES IN YOUR COUNTRY.
HOWEVER, THIS IS OPTIONAL, AND SHOULD IT NOT BE
CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO FURTHER ASSIST US WITH INVESTING
THE MONEY, WE CAN END OUR COOPERATION AFTER YOU HAND
OVER TO US OUR PERCENTAGE OF THE MONEY.
THE TRANSACTION, ALTHOUGH DISCRETE, IS LGITIMATE AND
THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH ALL
NECESSARY BACK-UP DOCUMENTS SHOWING LEGITIMATE
SOURCE/ORIGIN OF FUND. THE TRANSFER WILL BE EFFECTED
TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN SEVEN (7) WORKING DAYS AS SOON
AS WE REACH AN AGREEMENT AND YOU FURNISH ME WITH A
SUITABLE BANK ACCOUNT FOR RECEIVING THE MONEY.
I PLEAD WITH YOU ON ONE ISSUE, WHETHER YOU ARE
INTERESTED OR NOT, KINDLY DO NOT EXPOSE THIS
INFORMATION TO ANY ONE ELSE. I CONFIRM THAT THE
TRANSACTION IS LEGITIMATE AND WITHOUT ANY RISKS EITHER
TO OURSELVES OR YOURSELF.
PLEASE, GIVE ME YOUR RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY BY RETURN
MAIL TO MY CONFIDENTIAL EMAIL BOX AT:

johandersen@mail.com
WHILE KEEPING EVERYTHING CONFIDENTIAL.
YOURS FAITHFULLY
MR JOHN ANDERSEN


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