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: "PRINCE JOHNSON" <princejohnson04@ghanaonline.org>
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 09:59:16 +0000
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE

FIRST AND FOREMOST,I MUST SOLICIT YOUR STRICTEST CONFIDENCE IN THIS
TRANSACTION AND I PRAY THAT MY DECISION TO CONTACT YOU WILL BE GIVEN GENUINE
APPROVAL CONSIDERING THE FACTS WE HAVE NOT KNOWN EACH OTHER BEFORE, I WISH
TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU.

I AM PRINCE JOHNSON FROM LIBERIA,WEST AFRICA. I WRITES TO INFORM YOU MY
DESIRE TO INVEST,AND TO BUY A LIVING HOUSE IN YOUR COUNTRY. I AM THE FIRST
SON OF MR. WEAH JOHNSON, HE WAS A DIAMOND/GOLD MERCHANT IN MY COUNTRY.MY
FATHER HAD A BULLET SHOT BY THE REBELS ON HIS WAY TRAVELLING OUT OF MY
COUNTRY WITH TWO OF MY YOUNGER SISTER'S DUE TO PRESENT CRISIS THAT IS
OCCURING IN MY COUNTRY(LIBERIA).MY SISTER'S DIED ON THE SPOT WHILE U.N.PEACE
KEEPING FORCE RESCUED MY FATHER,HE WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL
TREATMENT WHICH HE LATER DIED. BEFORE HE DIED HE REAVEALED TO ME AND MY
MOTHER ABOUT THE BOXES CONTAINING $8 MILLION US DOLLARS.WHICH HE DEPOSITED
WITH A SECURITY COMPANY IN GHANA FOR SAFE KEEPING. MY FATHER DID NOT
DISCLOSE THE CONTENT OF THE BOXES TO THE SECURITY COMPANY.TO AVIOD THE
OFFICIALS FROM RAISING EYE BROWS TO THE FUNDS.

PRESENTLY MYSELF AND MY MOTHER ARE HERE IN GHANA TO NOTIFY THE SECURITY
COMPANY FOR THE CLAIMS,AND WE ARE STAYING IN THE REFUGEE CAMP. THEREFORE I
WANT YOU TO LECTURE ME ON HOW BEST WE CAN INVEST THIS MONEY,BECAUSE MY
FATHER TOLD ME THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO INVEST THIS MONEY IN AFRICA TO AVIOD
SUSPICIONS,AND DUE TO MARKET INSTABILITY COUPLED WITH ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
INSTABILITY FACING AFRICAN COUNTRIES,THAT IS WHY WE WANT TO INVEST IN
ABROAD. FOR YOUR MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, MYSELF AND MY MOTHER HAVE AGREED TO
OFFER YOU 20%OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE MONEY.

WE HAVE ALL THE VITAL DOCUMENTS COVERING THE DEPOSIT AND THE OWNERSHIP WHICH
I CAN SEND TO YOU THROUGH FAX ON REQUEST. NOTE:I HAVE NEVER DISCLOSED THIS
TO ANY PERSON APART FROM YOU,SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP THIS TRANSACTION AS A TOP
SECRET TO YOURSELF ALONE.WHICH I WILL WANT YOU TO FORWARD ACROSS TO ME YOUR
DIRECT TEL/FAX NUMBER FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION.

BEST REGARDS,

PRINCE JOHNSON. (FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY)


--

Anti-fraud resources: