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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: "james alimama" <james@jamesalimama.com>
Reply-To: jamesalimama2@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 04:20:24 +0000
Subject: LONG OVER DUE CONTRACT PAYMENT TRANSFER ADVISE IN YOUR FAVOUR:

ATTN: HONOURABLE CONTRACTOR
RE: LONG OVER DUE CONTRACT PAYMENT TRANSFER ADVISE IN YOUR FAVOUR:

Dear

I am a director with the Federal Ministry of Finance and was instructed by
the Hon Minister of Finance to find out before the end of this month, WHY
your contract/ claim of your part payment of $15.5 Million fund have not
been credited to your account.

However, two gentlemen who came from your country to claim this fund on your
behalf and the reason giving to us was that you are the one who sent them
that you are terminally sick and they provided account of Union Bank of
Swizterland for the payment to be made. Kindly reconfirm your banking
particulars to us and to know if you are the one that actually sent
them, your telephone and fax numbers and your full names for us to check
with the one in our file.

Yours faithfully,

Dr James Alimama



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