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: "Mrs Nazek Audi Hariri" <nk_ah1@info-lb.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 04:40:49 +0000
Subject: Private Message To You

Private Message To You,
 
Greetings to you, with warm heart I offer myfriendship, and greetings, and I hope this email meets you in good time. However strange or surprising this contact might seem to you as we have not metpersonally or had any dealings in the past, I humblyask that you take dueconsideration of its importance and the immense benefit it will be to you. After careful consideration with my children, we resolved to contact you for your most needed assistance in this manner. I duly apologize for infringing on your privacy, if this contact is not acceptable to you, as I make this proposal to you as a person of integrity.
 
I am Mrs. Nazek Audi Hariri, mother of five, my husband Mr. Rafik Baha al-din Hariri a very successful businessman and proficient politician in Lebanon. Though I was involved in some of my husband's business, which was very vast and successful. My beloved husband was among those killed in the massive explosion that rocked central Beirut's fashionable seafront district, on his way back from Lebanon parliament on 14th February.2005
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/02/14/beirut.hariri/index.html
 
When my husband died, I was contacted as next of kin by a private security firm in Europe to come forth to claim the consignment with the Certificate of Deposit and claim a safety deposit my husband has in their Vault in his name. I discovered a Certificate of Deposit for the safety deposit with this private security firm, and other documents relating to the safety deposit in a book. The safety deposit, which is a trunk, is stocked with hard currency (US Dollars) totaling $35,000,000 (Million US Dollar),which was generated from cash payments from his business associates. Though I knew my late husband was politician and the money was reserved for May election campaign.
 
This has came as a shock to me and my children, and we have decided to have this fund invested immediately in commercial and residential properties in abroad as well as profitable ventures, now that the US Govt. has ordered Syria Govt. to leave and not to intervene in any Lebanon affair and we don’t know what is going to happen, hence we sincerely propose to you to render us your most needed assistance in this regard. If you agree to render us your assistance, your role in this project will be to act on my behalf as a trustee to receive the safety deposit containing the funds from the Security firm.
 
Though I believe this transaction should be based on mutuality, a family associate, who is a diplomat, will protect my family’s interest, and I have informed him that I am locating one of my husband’s business associates (you) to handle the funds and pending till the crisis in Lebanon will die down, the part of services the diplomat is required to render is to assist you in claiming the consignments from the terminal of the security company and to set up a transit domiciliary account in your name in one of the prime bank he has contacts to carry out the exercise through the back door.
 
The purpose of the account is to enable you deposit the funds for further transfer into your nominated bank For your reliable assistance, we are offering you 20 % of the funds. I thank you in advance as we anticipate your assistance in enabling us achieve this goal. On hearing from you, I will forward your contact to the diplomat who will be representing us, and also
give you his contact for both of you to communicate and proceed with the transaction.
He will be working with you for a mutual conclusion of the process and I look forward to a long lasting business relationship with you. As you may understand, due to my husband sensitive position in the present government, it is not safe to communicate with me via phone or fax. Please all your correspondence should be forwarded to diplomat who reside in London-UK.
 
 With warm regards,
 Mrs.Nazek Audi Hariri.

Anti-fraud resources: