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: "salam mohammed" <salam670@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 16:43:39 +0100
Subject: RE: URGENT

Sir
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction. This
is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret.
I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and reputable
person to handle this confidential transaction, which involves the transfer
of a huge sum of money. I am the Attorney to Mohammed Abacha whose father,
Lt.Gen. Sani Abacha died sometime in 1998 in mysterious circumstance as the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My client who is still in
detention for fraudulent activities, which he committed during his fathers
reign desperately, needs a foreign partner into whose account he will
transfer the sum of $32m USD (Thirty-two million united states dollars).
This money is safely deposited in a security company here in Lagos before
his detention.
My client whose family properties have been seized and bank accounts frozen
by the present Civilian Government cannot afford to loose this money, which
he hopes to start a new life whenever he is released from detention.
We have agreed to offer you 30% of the whole money, 60% for us and 10% for
any eventual expenses. There is no risk involved in this transaction. Every
arrangement has been concluded with the security company that as soon as
you give me your positive response to this request through my private email
address salam.mohammed@inbox.com, the money will be moved out of the country
within 3-5 days.
Waiting to hear from you. Please reply to salam.mohammed@inbox.com.
BARRISTER SALAM MOHAMMED



FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar MSN Toolbar Get it now!

Anti-fraud resources: