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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: "YUSUF YAKUBU" <yusufyakubu10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: yusufyakub@luxmail.com
Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 00:38:04 +0000
Subject: Good day dear,

Attention!

Good day dear,

I am Yusuf Yakub, and presently, opportunity was given to me as a senior
officer in the government to oversea the office of debt reconciliation
and contract payment, both local and international levels.

I happened to discover in the payment list a sum of $38,500,000.00 USD
in a ghost company's name and non-existing contract number, which my
predecessor filed in for his personal interest before he was relieved of his
job inthe office due to some kind of political loggerhead or
misunderstanding he
had with the power brokers of the present ruling party in his involvements
in the preparations for the presidential election coming up next year 2006.

It was when I succeed him in office by presidential appointment and took
up his assignment that I discovered that the sum of $38,500,000.00 USD is
un claimed but with a ghost company's name and no existing contract number
was waiting for final approval for payment due.

The payment application letter as contained in the file claimed that the
contract fund came from Ministry of Agriculture, but after my
investigation amongst other contract sums and their source, the Ministry of
Agriculture said that such contract sum and contract number is not
originated from
them neither do they have any duplicate of such contract file number and
sum.

Seeing that this is a golden opportunity, I therefore, write to seek
your interest to collaborate with me to use your company's name or your
personal name, office address or house address to officially put in a new
claim
to the fund by changing the ghost name and address to your name to enable
you claim the fund and share in between.

I would be open and honest with you that after you have received the
fund, we will minus all our financial expenses to make the transaction a
successful one, and the remaining sum I will share it with you 50% 50%,
and you will help me to save or hide my share of the fund in your country.

Because in my country, Nigeria, civil servants, are not allowed to
operate foreign accounts or have any money more than $200,000 in his/her
indigenous account.

That is reason why you hear news of top Nigerian government official
lodging huge amount of money in US DOLLARS OR BRITISH POUNDS in foreign
countries.

In order to move this transaction forward, I will need you to send to me
immediately the following information;

(1) Your company's name or personal name
(2) Your office address or house address
(3) Your private telephone, mobile phone & fax numbers
(4) Your valued identification documents such as driving license or
international passport.

Most importantly, you must agree with me that you should not disclose
this deal to any person or group of persons but you must keep it secret to
yourself only. Even your bank must not know it until the fund comes to
you.

I look forward to have your reply.

Regards,
Yusuf Yakub


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