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 about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Al-Zargawi Yusuf" <al_zargawi100@msn.com>
Reply-To: yusuf_zargawi@yahoo.de
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:09:51 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend,

Dear Friend,
I am Al-Zarqawi Yusuf, A merchant in Dubai, United Arab Emirate ( UAE).
I have been diagnosed with Cancer, which was discovered very late, due to my
laxity in caring for my health. It has defiled all forms of medicine; Right
now I have only about a few months to live, according to my Medical Doctor.
I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for
myself but the Oil business. Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I
only focused on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now
I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting
to have or make all the money in the world.
I believe when Allah gives me a second chance and heal me I would live my
life a different way from how I have lived it. I have sowed a seed for my
healing I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my
immediate and extended family members and as well as a few close friends. I
want Allah to be merciful to me and accept my soul and so, I have decided to
give arms to charity organizations and give succor and comfort to the less
privileged of the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina Victims, as I want this to
be one of the last good deeds I do on earth so far, by distributed some of
this money to some charity organizations in India. Now that my health has
deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self anymore.
I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts in Saudi Bank
and distribute the money which I have there to charityorganization and to
the less privileged in Bulgaria and Sudan. They cashed the money but kept it
only to themselves.Hence I do not trust them anymore,as they seem not to be
contended with what I have
left for them already. The last of my money, which no one knows of, is the
huge cash deposit of Twenty Two Million United States Dollars ($ 22,000,000)
that I have in the Vault of The Security Company in Europe as
family valuable since the year 2003 for safekeeping. I want you to collect
this deposit on my behalf and disburse
it to the Tsunami Earthquake victims in Asia for the less privileged. Please
send me a mail to indicate your wiliness to assist in this disbursement. I
will set aside 10% for you for your time and efforts. I need your urgent
reply with your full name and address, your Phone and Fax numbers and your
Occupation so that I will not have to go on
sourcing for a credible person to handle this project for himself and the
rest of the less privileged.
So be free to send the below information to enable me submit it to the
company as the sole beneficiary.
FULL NAMES
CONTACT ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
AGE
OCCUPATION
YOUR MARITAL STATUS
I will also plead to you to always pray for me because only
Allah heals.
Al-Zarqawi Yusuf.



Anti-fraud resources: