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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "John Kwame" <john_kwame@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 13:01:29 +0000
Subject: From John

John Kwame
Manager Eastern Region Chapter two Branch
International Commercial Bank of Ghana Ltd
West Africa
 
Dear Friend,
I am contacting you base on mutual trust as I do not want problems but justhope you can assist me in actualizing the under mentioned project.I am in control of the sum of one million, eight hundred and fifty thous and US dollars ($1,850,000.00) which was an excess of profit made by our Eastern Region Branch Office in the Last quarter Financial Summery of last year 2004, The afore Mentioned amount I have been carefully placed in an Escrow Deposit Account with systematize procedures without declaring it to my executives.Can I really trust you to hold this money for me until I arrive your country and pick it up myself and you deduct 30% of the total money as your commission if you accept my offer you can contact me immediately.
All I need, is you to provide me with a good current bank account where I can move this money through a laid down modalities.
 
I willconfidentially, give you all the information concerning the account and the date of deposit so that you can apply to the bank for the release of the money. There is practically no risk involved. It will be a bank-to-bank wire transfer. I hope you understand my situation.
Be rest assured that this transaction is absolutely risk free.I await your urgent response
 

Thank you and God bless.
Yours truly,
John Kwame

Anti-fraud resources: