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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: "James Peters" <james_peters7@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: james_peters40@yahoo.co.in
Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2006 16:04:51 +0000
Subject: PLS I NEED URGENT RESPONSE

Hello,

I am Mr. James Peters, the Auditor General, All Standard Securities
Limited. In the course of my auditing, I discovered a floating fund
in an account which was opened in 1990 belonging to a dead foreigner, a
national of your country. I decided to track his last name over the internet
to locate any member of his family hence I got in contact with you.

I want to transfer the sum of ( Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand
United State Dollars) from All Standard Securities Limited in his account
overseas.

I am therefore writing to ask you that you quietly partner with me
and providing an account or set up a new one that will serve the purpose
of receiving this fund. Even an empty account can also serve as long as
you prove to be honest to me till the end of the deal. I hope you will
never let me down.

After going through Late Marks records and files, I discovered that:
(1) No one has operated this account since 1993;
(2) He died without a heir; hence the money has been floating.
(3) No other person knows about this account and there was no known
beneficiary. And if I do not remit this money urgently, it would be forfeited for
nothing.

This money can only be approved to you legally as you have the same
LAST NAME as Late Mark. Hence I am contacting you. I will require your
urgent reply so that I give you the next step. Kindly forward your
telephone and fax numbers/your proffession/Age. I am ready to give you the sum of
Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand United State Dollars for your assistance
and partnership with me.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Best Regards,
Mr. James Peters


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