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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.

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Fraud email example:

From: "Vladimir Oleg Lebedev" <olegvladimir@msn.com>
Reply-To: vladimiroleg@msn.com
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 09:55:49 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED!

Dear friend,

I am Vladimir Oleg Lebedev personal assistant to Mikhail Khodorkovsky once
rated as the richest man in Russia and owner of YUKOS OIL (Russian largest
oil company), chairman CEO: Menatep SBP Bank (a well reputable financial
institution with its branches all over the world).

SOURCE OF FUNDS:

I have a profiling amount in an excess of US$100.5M, which I seek you to
accommodate for me. You will be rewarded with 4% of the total sum for your
partnership. Can you handle this?

As his personal assistant, I was authorized to transfer money of an American
oil merchant for his last oil deal with my boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The funds have since left the shores of America to a European private
finance firm where the final crediting is to be carried out. While I was on
the process, my boss got arrested for his involvement in politics by
financing the leading and opposing political parties (the union of right
forces, led by Boris Nemtsov, and Yabloko, a liberal/social democratic party
led by Gregor Yavlinsky), which posed as a threat to president Vladimir
Putin second tenure as Russian president. Since then, I have placed on hold
all transactions concerning this amount. You can catch more of the story on
this website:

http://www.yukos.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3213505.stm
http://news.ft.com/cms/4bb9612a-d254-11d8-b661-00000e2511c8.html
http://www.hoovers.com/yukos/--ID__53700--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml
http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2003/11/13/51215.html

YOUR ROLE:

All I need from you is to stand as the beneficiary of the abovementioned sum
and I will re-profile the funds with your name, which will enable the finace
firm transfer the sum to you. I have decided to use this sum to relocate to
the American continent and never to be connected to any of Mikhail
Khodorkovsky conglomerates, I am presently residing in the UK. The
transaction has to be concluded soon and as I confirm your readiness to
conclude the transaction with me, I will provide you with details.

Thank you very much.

Regards,

Vladimir Oleg Lebedev.

PS: you can also reply me at vladimiroleg@msn.com


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