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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: "George Bamba" <georgebamba11@msn.com>
Reply-To: georgebamba20@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2005 18:05:02 +0000
Subject: Guardianship request, from Master George Bamba...

Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
West Africa
09/11/2005

Dearest One,

Greetings to you and your family.
Please i will be very glad if you could take your time to read this letter
and let me know your capability to stand as my guardian and help me out of
my difficult situation.

In details: I am George Bamba by name, the only son of late Chief Alfred
Bamba from the Republic of South Africa. I was 21 years old this june 15th
2005.

My father was a well established diamond and gold broker in Johannesburg,
South Africa. After 3 days he came back from a business meeting to Abidjan,
Cote d'Ivoire he was mobbed and attacked by unknown gunmen on his way to his
private warehouse on his routine inspections accompanied by my only little
sister Nene, who died instantly from a gun shot.

My father died after 5 days in a private hospital. While on his sick bed he
disclosed to me that he deposited huge amount of money amounting to
6.8million American dollars in one of the banks in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
indicating my name as his next of kin and heir to the money. He also told me
during our conversations that in case he died of this attack i should look
for a capable and trustworthy person who will take good care of me and will
guide me in investing this money wisely and be useful in life.

Because of many wicked and frustrating ways of my Uncles back home in South
Africa. I am here now in Abidjan and have located the bank where my father
deposited the money and have successfully identified myself to them. But
they refused to release the money to me insisting that i must present to
them my legal guardian as demanded by my father's deposit agreement before
they can release the money.

Please could you be my legal guardian by providing a safe bank account where
this money will be safely transferred into for a very good and lucrative
business in your country and also help in my relocation to your copuntry to
stay with you for some time and to be able to comfortably finish my
education.

I have made up my mind to compensate you with the 15% of the total money for
your kind consideration and future assistance.

I am waiting to hear from you soon so that we can proceed soon.
Thanks and God bless,
George Bamba.


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