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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: "John Makason" <john_makason@msn.com>
Reply-To: john_makason@inbox.lv
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:44:06 +0000
Subject: from John

Attn
I am John Makason,an attorney to Late Dennise Berkins an
expertriate Engineer here in cotonou.I received a memo from the foreign
operations unit of the optimum
resource and finance bank for an interview on some funds that belongs to my
client Dennise Berkins ,The Bank informed me on their policy to Freeze the
account and redirect this funds $45m usd back to government treasury because
they saw no next of kin in his entire file within the bank and his account
has been dormant for many years which is against the policy of the O.R.F
Bank

I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner who i can
front to make the claim of this funds with every legal due process.I have
resolved to share this money with you and invest my share abroad,the sharing
ratio is 10% for the foreign operations manager in the bank who has agreed
to guide us for the success of our objectives and 3% for expences we
might incurre in the processing of this transaction,2% for orphanages and
the less priviledged,60% for me and 25% for you but it is negotiable.

I will need your full name and address,and your telephone number for
further oral clearifications on this proposal. Contact me through my
private
email.john_makason@inbox.lv

Regards
John Makason Esq.


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