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: "Addim Williams" <addim02@msn.com>
Reply-To: addim2@zwallet.com
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 17:50:00 +0000
Subject: From Williams Family

Hello dear,

We need your help. I know you will be surprised to receive this mail. I am
Addim Williams. The son of late Lucas Williams who died five years ago as a
result of the revolt and campaign of calamity visited on white farmers in
Zimbabwe. Though a black man but because of his upright stand that the
government forcefully took over of farms from the investors all in the name
of land reforms was absurd and inhuman, he was viewed as an enemy and
eventually murdered.

Ever since then, my mother and I has been in Zambia on asylum because of the
government in Zimbabwe has been hunting us. Before my father's death, he had
deposited the sum of Twelve million American dollars with a security company
in Ghana with the sole aim of acquiring some dredging equipments in setting
up of a dredging firm with his partner. With his death and all his assets
seized at home and accounts frozen, the family is now in a very difficult
situation.

Based on that, we are soliciting your assistance to help us to receive this
consignment as our family trustee. The amount involve is Twelve Million
united states dollars ($12 m) and we want you to assist us in investing it
into a viable venture in order for us to come over and start a new life with
your assistance in your country.

This consignment was moved to London few months back to be claimed by my
father's partner alone and it got to our notice through the director of the
security company that the consignment has been moved to the UK by the
request of my father's partner who never cares about our situation since
death of my father.

This consignment was there and the fortunate thing for us is that my
father's partner could not claim the fund because we have refused to
transfer the ownership of the consignment to him by not giving him all the
documents to stand as our trustee.

We came to Ghana after we got the news from the director and we have to come
to Ghana to stop the release of the consignment to my father's partner. We
have been in Ghana for almost one month now and we arrived here with the
help of close family friends in Zambia who contributed and pay our transport
fair to Ghana.

We cannot trust my father's partner because since the death of my father he
never cared for us even my sick and only interested in the money. This is
the situation we find ourselve and that is why we have contacted you to help
us stand as my father's partner and trustee to claim this consignment and
help us come to your country.

The consignment has been returned back to Ghana and we want you to stand as
my father's new partner and we will give you the needed documents to receive
this consignment and we are ready to compensate you with part of the money
for your help as we are in a very tight situation. We need a helping hand
here.

We will be glad if you respond to this call soonest.

We await your urgent reply.

Regards,

Addim Williams
(For the Family)


--

Anti-fraud resources: