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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.

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Fraud email example:

From: "EMMA K. ZULU" <emmakzulu@freeghana.com> (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 12:19:18 +0000
Subject: WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANT

GOODDAY,
I WISH TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU.MY NAME IS EMMA ZULU A LIBERIAN CITIZEN.I AM A FIRST SON MR.JOHN K ZULU THE FORMER PERSONAL ADVICER TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA.

MY FATHER WAS SHOT DEAD BY WEST SIDE BOYS ON HIS WAY TO HIS OFFICE AND HE WAS TAKING TO ABIDJAN FOR A MEDICAL TREATMENT WHILE HE LATER DIED.WHEN HE WAS ON HIS SICK BED HE REVEALED TO ME ABOUT HIS FUND $12.5M USD HE DEPOSITED IN BARCLAYS BANK OF GHANA ACCRA.HE HANDED OVER ALL THE BANK DOCUMENTS TO ME SUCH AS BANK SLIP AND BANK DEPOSIT ISSUED TO HIM DURING THE TIME OF DEPOSIT.MEANWHILE, I AND MY TWO YOUNGER SISTERS ARE HERE IN ACCRA GHANA SEEKING FOR A REFUGE.AND MY LATE FATHER TOLD ME THAT THIS FUND HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO HE'S FOREIGN BUSINESS PARTNER BUT SINCE HE'S FOREIGN PARTNER CONTACT ADDRESS IS NOWHERE TO BE LOCATED,I AND MY MOTHER WANT YOU TO STAND AS HE'S FOREIGN PARTNER TO CLAIM THIS FUND ON OUR BEHALF.

PLEASE,WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANT AND WE WANT YOU TO LECTURE US HOW BEST WE CAN INVEST THIS MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY AS SOON AS THE MONEY BEEN TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AND WE HAVE DECIDED TO OFFER YOU 20% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE WHILE 5% WILL BE MAP OUT FOR OTHER EXPENCES.
AS SOON AS WE HEAR FROM YOU WE WOULD RELEASE THE BANK CONTACT TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN GET IN CONTACT TO THEM(BANK) FOR THE TRANSFFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.
BEST RGDS
EMMA K ZULU





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