joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: YUNO KIM <charities115@netscape.net>
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 23:10:53 +0100
Subject: AN ACT OF FATE

Dear Friend,

As you read this, I don't want you to feel sorry for me because, I believe everyone will die someday. My
name is YUNO KIM a merchant and citizen of Korea .I has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It
has defiled all forms of medical treatment, and right now I have only about a few months to live,
according to medical experts. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for
anyone (not even myself) but my business. Though I am very rich,
I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focused on my business as that was the
only thing I cared for.

But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the
money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would live my
life a different way from how I have lived it.
Now that God has called me, I have willed and given most of my property and assets to my immediate
and extended family members as well as a few close friends.
I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul so, I have decided to give alms to charity
organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth. So far, I have distributed
money to some charity organizations in the U.A.E, Algeria and Malaysia. Now that my health has
deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this myself anymore. I once asked members of my family to close one
of my accounts and distribute the money which I have there to charity organization in Bulgaria and
Pakistan; they refused and kept the money to themselves. Hence I do not trust them anymore, as they
seem not to be contended with what I have left for them. The last of my money which no one knows of is
the huge cash deposit of One hundred and fifty million united states dollars USD$150,000.000 that I
have with a finance company abroad. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatch it to
charity organizations. I have set aside 10% for you for your time and patience. Please send a reply
through this email address with your full contact
Telephone/fax numbers for confidential verbal details.

God be with you.

Yuno Kim

Anti-fraud resources: