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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: "AGBO EMMANUEL" <emmagboesq1@msn.com>
Reply-To: law_emmagbo1@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 03:51:58 +0000
Subject: FROM EMMANUEL.

Attn: Sir/Madam.

I am Agbo Emmanuel(Esq.), a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to Mr.
Fredrick O'Connor, who was an oil merchant in Nigeria. On the 21st of April
2003, my client,his wife and their two children were involved in a car
accident along Sagbama Express Road, here in Nigeria. All occupants of the
vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several
enquiries to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has proven
unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace
his relatives over the Internet, but of no avail, hence I mandated my
secretary to search for any possible relative of my late clients in the
Internet before the bank get the account confiscated or declared
unserviceable, the bank where the deceased had an account valued at about
US$14.8m (Fourteen million eight hundred thousand United States Dollars).
The bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the
account confiscated within the next 14 working days. I then decided to
present you as the next of kin of the deceased . The said amount will be
paid to you if you comply immediately with all the necessary documents of
the deceased in my possession. Immediately the money is paid to you, 55% of
the total amount will be for me, 40% for you, while the remaining 5% should
be for expenses or tax as your government may require. I have all the
necessary legal documents that can be used to back up our claim.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction
through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. In other
words, I am giving you my words that the documents to back up our claims
will show that the deposited funds, when it is finally paid to you, will in
no way violate the existing laws of your country nor that of mine.
I expect your urgent reply to enable us discuss further, if you are willing
to assist in this transaction.
Best regards,

Agbo Emmanuel (Esq.)


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