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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: "Anthony Johnson" <colaj1@zwallet.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 17:46:08 +0000
Subject: BE MY PARTNER

Col.A.Johnson
61 kings drive
Monrovia,Liberia
Attension Sir,
I hope you will not receive this proposal too surprising. I got your
contact E-mail address in my search for a trustworthy business partner who I can entrust a reasonable amount of money on his or her care for investment.I am a Liberian and a cabinet member of President Charles Taylor's administration. I am presently in UK under polical asylum status because of the on going war in Liberia. For your information I have secured and sent abroad the sum of $12,000,000.00 (TWELVE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLAR) through a diplomatic means. The fund is presently under the custody in a Finance/storage company in oversea. The money was originally meant for the purchase of arms and ammunition to fight the rebel groups in Liberia but from the look of things it is like we cannot continue with the war because of the intervention of President George Bush of America .As a result of the present development I now send the money abroad for my personal investment without the knowledge of our Government.
My main purpose of writing you is to seek your partnership
if you could make claim of the money from the storage company as the
beneficiary for the benefit of both us. I am willing to discuss sharing
ratio in any reliable business you would embark.
Details of how you are going to claim the money from the
storage company will be made known to you as soon as you indicate
your interest in this transaction.
Do send me the following details.to enable me document the consignment on your name as my foreign business partner to claim the goods on my behalf.
Full Names,contact address
telephone and fax numbers.
Please treat this proposal with utmost confidenciality.
Wait to hear from you.
Best regards,
Col.Anthony Johnson

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