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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs.Comfort <com_nibank@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:43:31 -0800
Subject: Mrs. Comfort


Greetings to you;

My name is Mrs. Comfort manager of a branch International Commercial Bank (ICB) Kaneshie Greater Accra Region of Ghana. I'm a Ghanaian married with two kids. It's with trust honesty and confidence that you will assist me, on this financial transaction I intend introducing to you, for the mutual benefit of both of us.

As the manager of this branch, it's my duty to send financial reports to my head office in Accra the capital city. On the course of end of the last year's 2004 report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the manager made Fifteen Million Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars (15,550.000.00) of which my head Office is not aware of and will never be aware of it.
I have placed this (15,550.000.00) in SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without a beneficiary.
Because it will be unlawful for me as an officer in this Bank to have connection with this money, so I impelled to request for your assistance to receive this (15,550.000.00) in your bank account. I intend to part 20% of this fund to you while 80% shall be for me. I do need to assure you that there is practically no risk involved; it's going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to stand as the original depositor of this fund.

If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely respond to this address (com_nibank@yahoo.com)
With Regards,
Mrs. Comfort

Anti-fraud resources: