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: mike mpoyo <mike_mpoyo2006@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 11:27:30 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Urgent and Confidential


ATTN:DIRECTOR/CEO

STRICLY CONFIDENTIAL
I am Mr. Mike Mpoyo, a senior staff and chairman "Tender Board Committee" on the award of contracts in Department of Works and Housing here in South Africa. I got your
contact E-mail address from a secure server online in my quest to find a trustworthy person on whom I can repose confidence for a transaction of this nature.
My aim of sending this "business proposal" to you is to solicit for your
assistance and co-operation to transfer some huge amount of money into
your account overseas. Therefore, this communication should be held in high
confidence.
My colleagues and I in the Department of Works and Land Affairs wish to transfer into a safe and secured account overseas the sum of US$13.5M (THIRTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSANDS UNITED STATES DOLLARS) which is over-invoiced amount from contracts we awarded to foreign contractors who have been duly paid on completion of their various contracts. This money right now is in a coded account in the National Treasury of South Africa. However, by virtue of our position as civil servants, we cannot acquire these funds in our names or in the names of companies here in South Africa.
I was therefore asked by my colleagues on trust and sincerity to look for a reliable internatioal outfit/ partner abroad into whose account the sum of US$13.5 million will be transferred. We have agreed on the sharing ratio of 80% for us and 20% for you as the account owner.
My choice of you for this transaction is basically hanged on trust and I hope you will not let me down.
Please, be informed that arrangemenents will be made for the processing of claims of
payment once I am in receipt of the information required from you, and the funds
will get into your account within 7 working days by Telegrephic Transfer(T.T).
Note as well that this transaction is 100% risk free.
I wait for your very urgent response.
Best Regards
Mike Mpoyo.




---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger NEW - crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail

Anti-fraud resources: