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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "steve moyo" <stevemoyou4@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 07:56:13 +0200
Subject: PLEASE HELP MY FAMILY

NO.10 ANDERSON STREET,
MANDELA CRESENT
JOHANNESBURG 2001.
TEL 27-73-307-2272


Dear Sir/Madam


My name is MR Steve Moyo, the eldeset son of Mr.MORGAN Moyo of Zimbabwe.
This might come to you as a surprise about where I got your contact address.
I got your address from the South African Chamber of Commerce in
Johannesburg, South Africa.

During the current war against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the supporters
of our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to his
party members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to surrender
all their farms to his party members and his followers.

My father was one of the best farmers in our country and because he did not
support Mugabe's ideas, Mugabe's supporters invaded my father's farm and
burnt everything in the farm, killing my father and made away with a lot of
items in my father's farm.

Before his death, my father had deposited with one of the Security Company
in Johannesburg, South Africa the sum of US$26 Million United States
Dollars).with my name and made every documents with my name both the
certificate of depository. Then after the death of my father, we decided to
move to the Republic of South Africa
where he had deposited the money in the Security Company as family
valuables.
So, I decided to contact you to assist me to transfer this money out of
South Africa because as asylum seekers we are not allowed to operate any
bank account within South Africa. We have agreed to offer you 20% of the
total sum for your assistance, 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that
may be incurred in the course of this transaction and 75% will be for me and
my family to invest in your country.

All I want you to do is to furnish me with your full personal phone and fax
numbers for easy communication. You can contact me on the above Telephone
number. Note that this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutely
confidential.

Thanks and God bless as I await your reply.
Best Regards,
Steve Moyo

(For Family).

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