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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: "pat ntoka" <patntoka10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: patntoka@myway.com
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:22:46 +0000
Subject: A LETTER FOR YOU

A LETTER FOR YOU


Attn Sir/Madam,

My name is Pat Ntokas of credit and foreign bills of Ecobank Plc. I
am writing in respect of a foreign customer(MR.CHARLES BALLASSI) of my
bank with account number 14-255-2004/ecb/t who perished in a plane
crash [31 October 1999 with Egyptian 990] with other passengers
aboard.


Since the demise of this our customer, I personally has watched with
keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as
no one has come to claim his funds of usd.20.5 m, [twenty million five

hundred thousand united states dollars] which has been with mybranch

for a very long time.
On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as
the next of kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin. And the
banking
ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than five years,
because money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed after
this period. In view of this I got your contact through a trade journal
.
I will give you 15% of the total.
Upon the receipt of your response, I will send you by fax or e-mail
the DEATH CERTIFICATE of the decease and the next step to take. I
will not
fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that
you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer
can be finalized within five banking days, after you apply to the bank

as a relation to the deceased.
When you receive this letter. Kindly send me an e-mail signifying
your interest including your private Tel/Fax numbers forquick
communication between us.
Respectfully submitted,

Mr. Pat Ntokas


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