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

Fraud email example:

From: "allen mark" <wwmmss004@msn.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:44:56 +0000
Subject: REPATRIATION

FROM MR.Allen Mark
Protocol officer,
Elstree way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 IGA, London,
United kingdom.

REPATRIATION OF $11.5M
Following the approvals received by this office recommending for the
immediate repatriation of the above referenced fund and having been listed
in category "A" foreign creditors, you are by this notice informed that your
assistance is required in receiving the approved fund floating in an
offshore payments Account in Holland. This is as result of grossly over
invoiced contracts which were executed by a (Deceased) national of Foreign
country on the Oil Refineries in Saudi Arabia.

This contract was deliberately over invoiced to the tune of US$11.5m Million
Five Hundred Thousand Dollars. This was a deal by my committee to benefit
from the project. I have therefore been mandated as a matter of trust to
look for a foreign partner into whose account we could transfer the sum of
USD11,500,000.00 (eleven million, five hundred thousand Us Dollars only). We
have agreed to share the funds thus: 80% for us and 20% for account owner
(you). If you are interested, please forward the following information
to:mmwwss003@msn.com
(1) Your Name/company's name and full address,
(2) Your banker's name, Swift code, address, A/C number, telephone and fax
numbers.
(3) Your contact Tel/Fax No.
(4) Your Occupation
(5) Valid ID

Upon the receipt of the above details, payment will be activated by the
feeding of your data into payment system, followed by a signal that will be
sent to the paying bank to remit funds into your nominated bank account
within 7 official working days of receipt of the above information.
Your swift response will be highly appreciated.
Best regards
Allen Mark


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