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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: "George Campbel" <george_campbel@msn.com>
Reply-To: george_campbel@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 10:43:17 +0000
Subject: COMPLIMENT OF THE WEEK TO YOU

ICON ASSOCIATES
45/46 NICON HOUSE Ste 4
LAGOS, NIGERIA.
FROM THE DESK OF GEORGE CAMPBELL (ATTORNEY)
HEAD OF CHAMBER
Our Ref...Your Ref...Date 3-6-005
 
ATTENTION: SIR ,
I am a lawyer resident and practicing in LAGOS  NIGERIA and I am using this correspondence to urgently seek and request your assistance and cooperation in a sensitive but highly beneficial financial arrangement.
 
AN Important client of mine whose details I cannot release at this point has implored me to contact a reliable and trustworthy partner overseas to urgently receive and handle funds totaling  (US$15.M)  presently lodged in a bank in LONDON (UK).
 
Due to the prosecution of the brithish authority against the nigerian gorvernors who has an account and properties in london, it may iterest you to know that the federal gorverment of nigeria has instructed  the brithish authority to investgate and seize any account or properties that belongs to any nigerian  gorvernor  in london after some gorvernors were arrested and prosecuted by the brithish police authority for money embezlement. 
 
my client's inability to travel out of the country presently and the fact that the federal gorverment of nigeria has restritected all the gorvernors and some top nigerian officials from traveling out the country, we need a friend and partner to proceed as soon as possible and retrieve this money on behalf of my clients and handle it as duly instructed. 
 
my client  intend to give you $1.2million us dollars for your co-operation and assistance and $500,000  for any contingencies.  he  expect this deal to be completed  within 14 (fourteen) working days, and all the  transaction shall be in accordance with the laws and procedures on international remittance of fund.
 
Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation and hoping
to hear from you soon.
Yours' sincerely, 
GEORGE CAMPBELL (ATTORNEY)
HEAD OF CHAMBER

Anti-fraud resources: