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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: "MARIAM ABACHA" <mariamabacha904@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:46:21 +0000
Subject: R:FROM: MARIAM ABACHA

FROM: MARIAM ABACHA
I GREET YOU IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST BENEFICENT AND MERCIFUL. MAY PEACE OF
ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS BLESSING BE UPON EVERY ONE OF US. OH OUR LORD SENDS
YOUR HELP AND
BLESSING UPON US FROM THE SKY SO IT SHALL BE WELL WITH US FROM NOW TILL THE
DAY OF JUDGMENT. ALL BLESSING IS FROM GOD; BLESS US FOR ALL OUR NEEDS
BECAUSE YOU ARE
MOST BENEFICIENT (AMEN)
DEAR FRIEND,
I AM MARIAN ABACHA. MY HUSBAND LATE GENERAL SANI ABACHA WAS THE FORMER
MILLITARY HEAD OF STATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. HE DIED IN 1998,
WHILE ON THE MANTLE OF POWER. HIS SUCCESSOR GENERAL ABDULSALAMI ABUBAKAR DID
NOT INCARCCERATE US (GENERAL ABACHAS' FAMILY) BUT THING TIRED SOUR FOR US
WHEN THE PRESENT CIVILLIAN PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA CAME TO POWER ON MAY 29TH
1999. IN THE FIRST PLACE THE PRESENT PRESIDENT IS A CHRISTIAN, AND HIS FIRST
ACTION ON ASSUMPTION OF
OFFICE WAS TO HOLD US HOSTAGE IN OUR HOUSE, SEIZE OUR TELEPHONES, CONFISCATE
OUR PROPERTIES, CLOSE OUR VARIOUS BANK ACCOUNTS IN NIGERIA AND ABROAD AND
REGULATE THE NUMBER OF VISITORS WHO SELDOMLY COME TO FELICITATE WITH US.
PRESENTLY, I AM WRITING YOU FROM MY PRISON ROOM(HOUSE ARREST) IN
LAGOS-NIGERIA FOR THE REASON THAT I WANT YOU TO HELP ME WITH UTMOST
CONFIDENTIALITY. I WANT TO SECRETLY TELL YOU THAT I DEPOSITED $68M
(SIXTY-EIGHT MILLION U.S DOLLARS) IN A VERY BIG BANK
IN LONDON AND THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BANK HAS HELPED ME TO HIDE AWAY
THE LEDGER BOOK.AND THE ONE THAT I DEPOSITED IN NEWZEALAND HAVE JUST
DESCOVERED LAST TWO MOUTHY I AM CONFUSE ON WANT TO DO TO SEE THAT THEY DID
NOT DISCOVER THIS.PLEASE ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS YOUR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.I
WANT TO SINCERELY PLEAD WITH YOU TO WORK TOGETHER
WITH MY LAWYER BARRISTER JERRY WEST IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:-BY SENDING YOUR
FULL
NAME/YOUR ADDRESS AND YOUR PERSONAL PHONE AND FAX
NUMBERS TO MY LAWYER BARRISTER JERRY WEST FOR EASY
AND CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION BOTH OF YOU WILL
ARRANGE TOTRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT FROM
LONDON THROUGH TELEGRAPHIC
TRANSFER. I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE LAWYER TO GIVE 20% OF
THE $68M FOR ALL THE EFFORT YOU WILL MAKE TOWARDS THE REALIZATION OF THIS
TRANSFER. 10% WILL BE FOR THE EXPENSES THAT WILL BE INCURRED IN THE COURSE
OF THE TRANSFER AND 70% WILL BE FOR MY FAMILY AND ME. MY SISTER WILL BE
WITH YOU IMMEDIATELY THE MONEY IS TRANSFERRED. PLEASE, CONSIDER THIS VERY
WELL
AND HELP ME BECAUSE THIS IS MY FAMILY HOPE TOP SECRECY IS REQUIRED. I
WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS RISK FREE ENTERPRISE. MAY THE ALMIGHTY ALLAH
BLESS YOU.
BEST REGARDS,
MARIAM ABACHA.
NOTE: BARRISTER JERRY WEST WILL BE GIVING ME AN
UPDATE ON YOUR
DISCUSSIONS.
PLEASE CONTACT MY ATTORNEY THROUGH THIS E-MAIL
ADDRESS: jerry_west901@yahoo.co.uk
MUTUAL UNDSANDING PLZ.
OH!MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING PLEASE.


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