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: "richard ezekiel" <info@african-ministers.com>
Reply-To: richardezekiel@ny.com
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:36:19 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend,

Dear Friend,

I am writing this mail with profound interest, having considered you highly
reputable and capable of assistance to my understated business proposal
after going through a brief profile of your company on the internet.

I am Mr.Richard Ezekiel, a Liberian Politician who served as a Personal Aid
to the former Liberian President (Charles Ghankay Taylor) who is presently
declared wanted by the American Government to face charges of Loots, Human
Right Abuses and War Crimes. “Details can be found on the internet through
any of the Search Engines, e.g; www.google.com”.
On my presumed reliance as a man, I am establishing this relationship with
you in benevolent spirit to mutually execute a deal presently at hand.
Precisely a month and eight days before Mr. Charles Taylor departed for
asylum in Nigeria, an amount of $68
million US Dollars was earmarked and given to a six member committee which I
was the leader, to lobby few prominent Liberian Citizens and some of the
ECOWAS leaders to enhance Taylor’s self succession bid as a life time
President of the Republic Of Liberia.

However, negotiations were not concluded for the funds to be shared before
the pressure became un-bearable and he fled for safety. All efforts to
regain Power proved abortive, as the George Bush administration insisted on
his arrest.

The five committee members and I, has decided after a joint meeting held two
nights ago to use the $68 million as our benefit and compensation for the
risks we have taken working for Taylor, since the funds are still in our
possession. In the meeting,

I was mandated (as the leader) to look for a TRUSTWORTHY foreign partner
through who the funds can be invested abroad, since we have little or no
knowledge in the areas of lucrative business and it’s management.
Friend, are you worth the role and really capable of handling this
transaction effectively? If so, can you really be trusted?
This is to ascertain your interest and once positive response is received
from you, assuring us of your utmost cooperation, sincerity and
confidentiality, I shall arrange a meeting with you immediately so that we
can discuss and conclude modalities for the
transaction to commence without any delay.

Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

Mr Richard Ezekiel


Anti-fraud resources: