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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: "awele jerry" <awelejerry@awelejerry.com>
Reply-To: stanleytony@ny.com
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 18:41:33 +0000
Subject: Congratulations

"Ref: OYL/265104060037/02
Batch: 24/00319/IPD
RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION AND FINAL NOTICE
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY,31st OF OCTOBER
2005,OF WINNERS OF THE CASHOUTLOTTO INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM.
YOUR DETAILS, ATTACHED TO TICKET NUMBER 275-1085-8862-005, WITH SERIAL
NUMBER 8786-35 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS 5 16 22 36 37 65. YOU HAVE
THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED FOR A LUMP SUM PAY OUT OF 850,000 EUROS DORLARS
IN CASH CREDITED TO FILE REF NO. REF:OYL/265104060037/02.ALL
PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED THROUGH A COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM
25,000 NAMES FROM MIDDLE EAST, ASIA, AFRICA, CANADA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, NEW
ZEALAND,SOUTH
AND NORTH AMERICA AS PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS
PROGRAM.CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR FUND IS NOW DEPOSITED WITH AN
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE AND SECURITY HOUSE INSURED IN YOUR NAME.DUE TO
THE MIX UP OF SOME NUMBERS AND NAMES, WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP
THIS,AWARDSTRICTLY
FROM PUBLIC NOTICE UNTIL YOUR CLAIM HAS BEEN PROCESSED AND YOUR
MONEYREMITTED TO
YOUR ACCOUNT. THIS IS PART OF OUR SECURITY PROTOCOL TO AVOID DOUBLE
CLAIMING OR UNSCRUPULOUS ACTS BY PARTICIPANTS OF THIS PROGRAM.WE HOPE WITH A
PART OF YOU PRIZE, YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEW YEAR HIGH STAKES $18.3
MILLION EUROS INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY.TO BEGIN YOUR CLAIM, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR
INTERNATIONAL CLAIMS AGENT.
STANLEY TONY,
FOREIGN SERVICE MANAGER,
EMAIL:(stanleytony@ny.com)
FOR DUE PROCESSING AND REMITTANCE OF YOUR PRIZE MONEY TO A DESIGNATED
ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE.REMEMBER, YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR CLAIM AGENT
NOTLATERTHAN 14TH NOVEMBER, 2005. AFTER THIS DATE, ALL FUNDS WILL BE
RETURNEDAS UNCLAIMED.NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAYS AND
COMPLICATIONS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH
NUMBERS IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR CORRESPONDENCES WITH YOUR
AGENT.FURTHERMORE, SHOULD THERE BE ANY CHANGE OF YOUR ADDRESS, DO INFORM
YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN FROM ALL OUR
STAFF AND THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF OUR PROMOTIONAL PROGRAM.
SINCERELY,
AWELE JERRY,
THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,
CASHOUTLOTTO.
SEND ALONG WITH YOUR REPLY FULL NAMES ,ADDRESS ,AGE MARITIAL STATUE,
OCCUPATION ,TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.
N.B.ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL
RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MAIL. CONTACT
YOUR CLAIM AGENT."


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