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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: "charles soludo" <charels_c_soludo@msn.com>
Reply-To: c_csoludo@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 15:01:10 +0000
Subject: PERSONALLY TO YOU FOR ASSISTANCE ,ARE YOU SECRESIVE?


Dear Sir
First I will like you to take your time to go over this mail carefully and with patience.
Please, this is a matter of urgency, this is because I need your help and I need it very quickly too.At this stage I will like to introduce my self. I am Prof. Charles C Soludo Governor Central Bank of Nigeria and Senior Personal Assistant to the first lady of the Federal republic of Nigeria who died on the 22nd, October, 2005 in a Spanish Hospital after undergoing surgical operation.
 
 
Before her death the First Lady, Chief Mrs. Stella Obasanjo gave me a very huge amount of money to be transferred to an off-shore Security Company abroad. In any case the funds were successfully transferred and it is currently in a safe deposit abroad. All the papers to legally claim the funds are with me but safely put in a place that nobody can discover except I say so, the amount involved in this transfer is US$22.5m (Twentytwo Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).I need your urgent assistance in getting this fund out of the Security Company before her husband begins to find a way of recovering her funds abroad. So that upon my retirement, we can successfully invest this fund together in your country under your supervision.
 
Therefore, I sincerely want your help in the area of investment Opportunities in your country. In Research, Real estate and properties, computers and Other things that will bring real returns for my investment worth.
Please, can you help me by receiving the funds as the beneficiary? I assure you that there is no risk involved as the funds is already out of Nigeria All you need is just the papers to put forward before the Security Company and the funds will be released to you promptly.
 
These papers I am ready to send to you as soon as I hear from you with personal information about your self. Be informed that you will be compensated with 20% of the funds upon collection if you agree to help me, and the rest we can put into business.
I await your urgent response. I will fill you in with more information when I have heard from you. Please do provide me with your phone and fax numbers when responding. Thanks and God bless as I look forward to your favorable reply.
 
Yours sincerely,
Prof Charles C Soludo.
 
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