joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "DR.MICHAEL WATSON" <michaellwatson43@netscape.net>
Reply-To: michaelwatson43@netscape.net
Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 02:17:45 +0100
Subject: ATTENTION!


Free Lotto Ltd,
406 Bury New Rd.,
Whitefield, Manchester
M45 7SX U.K.
www.freelotto.com
Ref Nr: FL/97123/ZV
Dear Prize Winner,
RE: END OF YEAR LOTTERY BONAZA
Europe/ America and Asia private international e-games organizers and
co-sponsors, FREE LOTTO Group International, officially bring to your notice of the final draw result of the 31stDecember -2005 FREE LOTTO -wheel E-game which was conducted at our international corporate office complex in The MANCHESTER,UNITED KINGDOM.
Most recently this foundation set up the NEW LOTTERY SCHEME to give out prizes
based on COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM. By doing this the foundation seek to encourage the use of Internet for academic and business pursuits. It major aim is to promote music, theater, art, literature, projects in the social and political arena with a focus on health, as well as science, research, and higher education.
We wish to congratulate and inform you on the selection of your email coupon
number which was selected among the 45 lucky consOlation prize winners Your email ID identified with coupon No. FL74841121 and was selected by our E-games Random Selection System (ERSS) with entries from the 50,000 different email addresses enrolled for the E-game.
Your email ID was included among the 50,000 different email addresses submitted
by our partner international email provider companies. You have won a consultation cash prize
of £850,000(EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND BRITSIH POUNDS STERLING). The FREE LOTTO Group, have approved a payout of your consultation cash prize which will be remunerated directly to you by the official Payment Agency Board. Our DUE PROCESS UNIT (DPU) will render to you complete assistance and provide additional information and processes for the claims of your consolation prize.
For due processing of your winning claim. Please contact the DPU Information

Officer, Mr.Dwight Franklin
who has been assigned to assist you.
ABACUS FINANIAL RECONCILIATION
Tel: +447031927198
Fax: +447092875567
Email:abacusfinrecuk@consultant.com
Email:dwightfranklin@zensearch.com
Once again congratulations from all our staffs on your consultation prize
winning, we hope you will partake our forth coming FREE LOTTO -wheel Email-games.
You are hereby advised to reconfirm your Full Contact Information as well as
other relevant information in the format stated below so that Mr.Dwight Franklin can instruct the bank for immediate contact to you for further remittance advice to your local account.
The Requested Information is to ensure that no error is made and it should be
forwarded in the manner
stated below:
Your Full Name:
________________________________________________________________________________
Your: Complete Address (Physical Address with Zip Code not P.O.BOX):
__________________________________
Name of City of Residence:
_______________________________________________________________________
Direct Telephone Number: __________________________________ Fax Number
___________________________
Mobile Number:
___________________________________Email:________________________________________
Once again congratulations from all our staffs on your consolation prize
winning, we hope you will
partake our forth coming FREE LOTTO -wheel Email-games.
sincerely remain
Dr. Michael Watson Ph.d
In accordance with the FREE LOTTO -wheel E-games policy and regulations, this
notification is dispatched directly to only the 45 lucky consultation prize Winners. This
notification also contains information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the right recipient whose email is attached to the lucky numbers along with the winning informations you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or disseminate this notice or any part of it. All lottery winning prizes should be claimed not later than 12th January, 2006.

Anti-fraud resources: