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: "Prescious Smith" <prescioussmith@smithchambers.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 00:15:20 +0000
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE NEEDED

FROM DR PRECIOUS SMITH
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT,
CEMAC BANK OF AFRICA,
COTONOU-BENIN REPBLIC.

PLEASE REPLY ME TO MY PRIVATE BOX precioussmith1@myway.com


ATTN:MY FRIEND,


MY NAME IS DR PRECIOUS SMITH, A BANKER BY PROFESSION AND CURRENTLY A
DIRECTOR WITH CEMAC BANK OF AFRICA COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC BRANCH.

I GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN MY SEARCH FOR A REPUTABLE AND RELIABLE PERSON
TO HELP ME CLAIM THE SUM OF UD$15 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS DEPOSITED IN
OUR BANK BY ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER WHO DIE WITH THE WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN ON
THE 21ST DAY OF APRIL 2000 IN A CAR CLASH ALONG NOVESSEL ROAD.

SINCE HIS DEATH NO ONE HAS COME UP AS HIS NEXT OF KIN AND ALL OUR EFFORTS TO
LOCATE ANY MEMBER OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY HAS PROVE ABORTIVE THAT WAS WHY I
DECIDED TO SEE IF I CAN GET ANYBODY WHO HAS THE SAME
SURNAME OR LAST NAME WITH HIM VIA INTERNET PREFERABLY SOME ONE OF THE SAME
NATIONALITY WITH HIM WHICH I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ALL THE QUALITIES WE NEED


WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU IS TO PRESENT YOU TO OUR BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO
OUR DECEASED COSTUMER HE WAS A DRILLING CONTRACTOR WITH SOME
OIL COMPANIES HERE IN WEST AFRICA,BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SAME SURNAME/LAST
NAME WITH HIM AND HE IS FROM THE SAME COUNTRY WITH YOU.SO IT WILL BE MORE
ACCEPTABLE AND WISER TO PRESENT YOU THROUGH PAPER
WORK TO THE BANK FOR THE CLAIM OF THE TOTAL FUND.

I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS THAT THE BANK MAY REQUEST
FROM YOU AND FOLLOW UP THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR A/C AS AN INSIDER.

IT WILL INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT I AND MY PARTNERS HAS BEEN KEEPING OUR
EYES ON THIS FUNDS AND HAS PUT THE ACCOUNT BLIND AND COVERED TO THE PUBLIC
BY KEEPING THE ACCOUNT DORMANT TO ENABLE OUR PLANS FOR THE FUNDS
TO COME THROUGH AND THIS IS THE TIME AND WE ARE HAPPY TO LOCATE YOU FOR THE
PERFECTION OF THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK A/C TO BE
GIVEN.

AS SOON AS I GET YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE I WILL UPDATE YOU ABOUT THE MODE OF
DISBURSEMENT AND WE WILL ALSO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INVESTING IN YOUR COUNTRY
AS A WAY TO OF HELPING YOU PEOPLE WHO SUPPOSE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF
THIS FUNDS .

LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT RESPONSE BY UPDATING ME WITH YOUR DIRECT
TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.

YOURS SPECIALLY
DR PRECIOUS SMITH.


Anti-fraud resources: