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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: "Tony Brown" <tonybrown33@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: tonybrown515@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 07:22:46 -0500
Subject: Good Day.

FROM:DIRECTOR,
PINACLE SECURITIES (PTY) LTD

ATTN: DEAR SIR/MA,

TRANSFER OF US$68,000.000.00Million FOR INVESTMENT
I am MR TONY BROWN the Director of
Delivery/Operations in the above mentioned Security
Company. Our firm is a security company of high repute
with years of outstanding service to the people of
Africa,europe especially top government officials and
military leaders in Africa.

I have resolved to contact you through this medium
based on business proposal that will be of mutual
benefit to both of us. I have not discussed this
transaction with anybody because it is of top secret.

To be explicit and straight to the point, some time
early in 1997, a reputable client of our ,deposited a
consignment in our company's vault for safe keeping.

And since then our client has failed to come forward
to claim his consignment, which has accumulated a
considerable amount of money in
demurrage.Consequently, in our bid to contact this
client to redeem the demurrage which his consignment
had accumulated we discovered that our client was the
former President of Zaire, who died of illness after
he was dethroned in the same year.

The consignment was entrusted into our care. Before
the death of our client, President Mobutu Seseseko,
none of his benefactors has come forward to claim the
consignment with us, which means that none of his
relation or aides had any knowledge of this
consignment. Hence out of curiosity I decided to
secretly scan the box that our client deposited in our
vault. And to my surprise I discovered that the box,
that was registered as treasures by our client,
actually contained a considerable amount of money in
United State Dollars, amounting to about
US$68,000.000.00. Since this development I have been
nursing plans secretly.

I also found out from enquiries and the foreign media
that our late client siphoned a lot of money from his
country while he was in office as Head of State. It is
my conviction that the consignment in our vault was
part of the money our cleint siphoned and now that he
is dead there is no trace of this money in our care. I
am now soliciting your noble assistance to assist me
in transferring this money out of United Kingdom to your
country for immediate investment with your assistance.

I have also decided that you will generously be
entitled to 25% of the total amount. Upon my receipt
of your reply confirming your willingness to assist me
of this transaction, I will immediately arrange and
transfer all the right of ownership of this
consignment to your name, to facilitate your easy
clearance and transfer of the complete fund to your
country for onward investment.

This transaction is 100% risk free. Please maintain
absolute confidentiality on this matter. I await your
most prompt response through my This E-mail Address
Which is
tonybrown515@yahoo.co.uk
Your's faithfully
T.BROWN

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