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: "okoye simon" <okoyesimon101@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 13:08:33 +0000
Subject: Good Day!!!

Dear friend,

This letter is written to you based on contact information I came across on
web while searching for investment options overseas. My name is Okoye Simon
and I work as a manager in an insurance company here. Last month, I
discovered one unclaimed policy for the sum of Three Million United States
Dollars {US$3,000,000.00} to be paid out as SURRENDER VALUE for the LIFE
ASSURANCE POLICY of one liquidated oil servicing company by name {CEDRY
INCORPORATED} that went bankrupt nine years ago and does not exist anymore.
For us to claim this money, we need a foreigner who will stand as the risk
manager of the liquidated company to file a claim on this policy using
details and information I will supply.

I have made efforts over the years to get any foreign member of the
liquidated company without success. I finally found a lawyer by name
BARRISTER MOHAMMED BELLO who was the lawyer/attorney of the liquidated
company. I revealed the unclaimed policy to him and he has accepted to work
with me to get the Surrender value paid to the account of any foreigner I
will provide to stand as the risk manager of the liquidated company.
Barrister Bello told me that the risk manager then was very sick during
their company’s liquidation and later died and for that reason no one raised
the issue of their Surrender value with our insurance company.

If you accept to stand as the risk manager of the liquidated Company to
claim this surrender value of three million dollars, I am willing to split
the funds into three parts, for each of us having an equal share of One
Million Dollar. Once you file the claim, we will do the rest for you in the
inside and get the payment released in your name. If you are interested and
capable please get back to me through email. I will send my identifications
to you once you indicate your interest to work with me. There is no risk
involved because the company has been liquidated and dissolved and has left
Africa for about eight years. This Barrister Bello and I will come over to
your country for our share once this transaction is concluded. I am
optimistic that we will conclude this transaction within three weeks.

Thanks in advance for your anticipated co-operation

Regards

Mr. Okoye Simon


Anti-fraud resources: