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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: "Fred Williams" <fredwilliams_246@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 12:34:43 +0000
Subject: Greetings to you, from little Fred Williams

Greetings to you, from little Fred Williams

I thank God that I have come across you and believe you will not turn down
my request. My name is Fred Williams, I am 17 years old. I am from Bouke in
Cote D'ivoire, west Africa. I became an orphan last year when my father and
my mother were murdered in Bouke in the northen part of Cote D' Ivoire my
home town.
I was in school when the rebel new force went on rampage and killed people
in the town suspected for supporting the government of Gbagbo.
I was able to escape from Cote D' Ivoire to The Netherlands by a good
samaritan, where I am taking refuge.
Since then, I have been searching closely on whom to trust and who will help
me to claim and invest the sum of $18,500,000.00 United state dollars which
my late father deposited in the vault of a security company here in The
Netherlands.
This fund was deposited as a family treasure/valueables for unward
investment by my late father's business partner in Europe before they lost
contact as a result of the political crises in the country (Cote D' Ivoire),
seconded by his death (my father).

However,as I do not know this foreign partner and his contact information
and my condition is safe and conducive here now, I appeal and plead to you
in the name of GOD to help me stand as my guidian for the claim of the money
which was deposited in the vault of the security company as a family
treasure/valueable. Then after you have received the fund successfully, you
will arrange to manage the fund in profitable investment you may choose.

Dear,do I believe and trust in you that you will not sit and betray me after
the fund has been released to you? Assure me confidentially so that I will
send across to you the contact information of the security company for your
verification.

As I do not have any experience, I will like you to use your wealth of
experience to handle this. Also, I will like you to suggest on the likely
percentage you will take from this fund for your aniticipated help.

Please endeavour to furnish me with your private telephone number and please
you have to maintain secrecy to avoid people having eyebrows on the fund
when you receive it.Please the security company does not know the content of
the box,they only know it's contains family treasure and valueables.
I wait to hear from you soon,here is my private email
address:fredwilliams4@walla.com.

Yours faithfully,

Fred WIlliams


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