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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: "mineral energy" <mineral_energy@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 06:37:47 +0000
Subject: mineral & energy

Attn: Chairman/Director

I am Mr.NINO NKOSI, Director of Project Implementation South Africa
Department of Mineral & Energy. First and foremost, I apologized using this
medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude. Be
informed that I got your particulars from a member of the South Africa
Export Promotion Council (SAEPC) who was at the Government delegation to
your country during a trade exhibition. I have decided to seek a
confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described
hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top
secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Minerals & Energy where I work as a Director of
Project Implementation and with the co-operation of other officials, we have
in our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Sixteen Million, Four
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$16,400,000.00) which we want to
transfer abroad with the assistance and co-operation of a foreign
company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf or a reliable
foreign non-company account to receive such funds. More so, we are
handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Civil Service Code of
Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence your importance
in the whole transaction.

This amount (US$16.4m) represents the balance of the total contract value
executed on behalf of my Department by a foreign contracting firm, which we
the officials over-invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost
have been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune
of the said amount which we have in principles gotten approvals to remit by
Telegraphic Transfer (T.T) to any foreign bank account you will provide by
filing in an application through the Justice Department here in South Africa
for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you.

I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be
willing to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum will be 20%
of the US$16.4 million, 70% for us and 5% for taxation and miscellaneous
expenses and the remaining 5% will be for charity Organization. The business
itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat it with utmost secrecy
and confidentiality. Also, your area of specialization is not a hindrance to
the successful execution of this transaction. I have reposed my confidence
in you and hope that you will not disappoint me. Endeavor to contact me
immediately through my above confidential tel or fax number, whether or not
you are interested in this deal.

I want to assure you that myself and my partners are in a position to make
the payment of this claim possible provided you can give us a very strong
assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and please remember
to treat this matter as very confidential matter, because we will not
comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government
Service, it is pertinent to inform you that time is of the essence in this
transaction.


I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.


Yours faithfully,



MR. NINO NKOSI

Email:mineral&energy@i-box.co.za or ninonkosi3@yahoo.com


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