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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: "Kobena Kontor" <kobenakontor2000@msn.com>
Reply-To: kobena2005@excite.com
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 04:59:28 +0000
Subject: Good Day...

Attn:

My name is Kobena Kontor; I am the Regional manager of Africa Merchant
Bank, Ghana Kumasi branch in the western Region of Ghana. I am married
with two lovely kids. I am a man of peace and I don't want problems,
I only hope you can assist me. I have packaged a financial transaction
that will benefit you and I, as the Regional manager of Africa Merchant
Bank, it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office
in the Capital city Accra at the end of each Business Year. On the course
of the last year 2004 Business Report, I discovered that my branch in which
I am the manager made one million five hundred and twenty thousand US
Dollars($1,520,000.00) which my head office are not aware of and will
never be aware of. I have placed this fund on what we call escrow call
account with no beneficiary.

As an officer of this Bank I cannot be directly connected to this
Money, so my aims of contacting you to assist me receive this money in
your Bank account and get 30% of the total fund as commission though is
negotiable. There are practically no risks involved; it will be a Bank to
Bank Transfer, all I need from you is to stand claim as the Original
depositor of this funds who made the deposit with my branch so that
My head office can order the transfer to your designated Bank account.
If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much.

Write me if you think we can work together so that we can go over the
Details, Thank you in advance and May God bless.

Mr. Kobena Kontor
Regional Manager,
Africa Merchant Bank, Ghana.


Anti-fraud resources: