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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: "cyril umeh" <drcyril1umeh@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: drcyrilumeh@myway.com
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 01:43:11 +0200
Subject: Assurance

No 13 VS2
Maseru Avenue
Generation-South-Africa.
================================
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

Dear Partner,

I am Dr.Cyril Umeh, the Auditor General of a bank in Africa,I am
contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge sum of money from a
deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will
make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that
everything has been well taken care off, I decided to contact you due to the
urgency of this transaction.To ease your apprehension.

The amount involved is (USD $26M) Twenty Six million United States
Dollars, I want to first transfer $6,000,000.00 [ Six million United States
Dollars] from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before
the rest, but I don't know any foreigner.

I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who
will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or
to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an
empty a/c can serve to recieve this money, as long as you will remain
honest to me till the end of this important business trusting in you and
believing that you will never let me down either now or in future.

I am the Auditor General of a bank in Africa, during the course of our
auditing I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank
in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again. After
going through some old files in the records,I discovered that the owner
of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if
I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for
nothing. The owner of this account is a foreigner, and a sailor. he died
since
1993 and no other person knows about this account or any thing
concerning it. The account has no other beneficiary and my investigations
proved
to me as well that the deceased, until his death was the manager of his
Coy.(pty). SA.
We will start the first transfer with Six [6,000,000.00] after and upon
the successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we
shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining amount to your account,
The amount involved is (USD $26M) Twenty Six million United States
Dollars.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the
management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct
information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your
positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet
up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with
me in this business.
I need your strong assurance that you will never,never let me down.
With my influence and the position of the bank official, we can
transfer this money to any foreigner's with reliable account which you can
provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical
arrival in your country for sharing. I will apply for annual leave to get
visa
immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund
in your account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal
approvals
for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance
from
the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments.


Although personally, I kept this information secret within myself to
enable the whole plans and idea be Profitable and successful during the
time of execution.In fact, I could have done this deal alone but because
of my position in this country as a civil servant, I am not allowed to
operate a foreign account. You will be given 30% for your help.
I look forward to your earliest reply.

NB:Please,you have been advised to keep top secret of the deal as I am
still in service and intend to retire as soon as you confirm the
reciept of the money in your a/c in your country.

_________________________________________________________________
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