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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Felix Dickson" <felixdickson201@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:14:42 +0000
Subject: urgent reponse

Hello

My name is Felix Dickson, I am an artist. I live in United Kingdom, with my
two kids, four cats, one dog and the love of my life. It is definitely a
full house. I have been doing artwork since I was a small child. That gives
me about 23 years of experience. I majored in art in high school and took a
few college art courses.
Most of my work is done in either pencil or airbrush mixed with color
pencils. I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the
computer, and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in
magazines.

I have been selling my art for past 3 years, both locally and
internationally, but I find it difficult getting paid by my clients in the
US, as most of them has the only option of paying me either by money orders
or check, of which I am not based in the US and hence it is impossible for
me to cash out the checks or money orders as the cost of flying down to the
states to receive such payments is very expensive, so for me not to loose my
clients in the US, I have decided to strategize a plan by employing someone
in the United States who will be working as my representative, and hence
receive payments on my behalf, I mean someone that is honest, transparent,
responsible and reliable. And hence, I will be willing to pay 10% for every
transaction.

Anyway, I am working on setting up a branch in the states, so for now I need
a representative who will be handling the payment aspect, then
along the line if I find you possessing the above characters, I could make
you my manager once my branch if up the Dallas, Texas.

Like I said earlier, these payments will be coming to you in form of money
orders and checks, they would come in your name, as I will introduce you to
my US customers and hence they will be making payment to me through you, so
your job is just to cash out the money orders or checks, deduct your wage
which is 10% from each payment and wire the rest via western union or
moneygram to me.

Now, for such magnitude of business, the problem I have is trust, but I have
my way of getting anyone that gets away with our money, I mean the FBI
branch in Washington gets involved.

This job wont cost you any amount, u are just to receive payments which will
be sent to u by FedEx or usps from my customers, which would come in form of
a money order or check like I said, then u are to cash it, deduct your wage
which is 10% from each payment you receive and send the balanced to me via
western union money
transfer or moneygram money transfer, all transfer fees should be deducted
from my own share of the money after your remove your 10%. If this job offer
is ok by you, then write and let me know you are interested, and then I will
advise you what next to do.

Please get back to me as soon as possible, so that I can enlighten you on
how to proceed.

Compliments!!
Felix Dickson
N/B Endevour to contact me using my private address
(felixdickson2006@yahoo.com)


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