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: "Dr Morton Lowe" <morton_lowe222@yahoo.no> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2006 02:52:06 +0100
Subject: Kindly Give Me A Short Call (00-225-08482045) Lee Chang

AMALGAMATED BANK OF ABIDJAN
RUE DE 541/ 542 MACOURY
ABIDJAN
COTE D IVOIRE WEST AFRICA
TEL 00 - 225 - 08482045
Attn Lee Chang
How is the condition of health together with your family and others over there, I
hope you all are healthy. Please I know that this message will come to you as
a surprise since we don't know each other before. But for purpose of introduction,
I am Dr Morton Lowel, The Bank Manager of AMALGAMATED BANK OF ABIDJAN IVORY D COAST
(ABAIC). There is an account opened in this bank in 1980 and since 1991 nobody has
operated on this account again. After going through some old files in the records,
I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing.
The owner of the account is PRINCE BANDER BIN SAUD, a foreigner and a miner at
Kruger gold co., a geologist by profession and he died since 1998, please visit the web
of all the people that died on the aircraft. http:www.newscotland1398.net/lunenco/swissbaysw.html
No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other
beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything
about this account. And the amount involved is (USD 10 M) Ten million United States dollars.
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local
bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is in us
dollars and the former owner of the
account is PRINCE BANDER BIN SAUD is a foreigner too. I know that this message
will come to you as a surprise as we don't know ourselves before. We will sign an agreement,
but be sure that it is real and a genuine business. Please reply urgently so that I will inform
you the next step to take immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax number
including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to
face or sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive this money into
a foreign account or any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. And I will fly
to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other investments. I need your full co-operation
to make this work fine because the manager is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner,
who has correct information of this account, which I will give you later immediately, if you are
capable and willing to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my
instructions and advice for our mutual benefit. Because this opportunity may never come again
in my life. I need truthful person in this business because I don't want to make mistake I need
your strong assurance and trust. With my position now in the office I can transfer this money to
any foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this money will be
intact pending my physical arrival in your country for sharing. I will destroy all documents of
transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place. You can also come
to discuss with me face to face after whom I will make this remittance in your presence and two
of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account. I will
apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive
this fund in your account. I will use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward
transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign
exchange departments. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 25% of the total amount,
70% will be for me, and while 5% will be for any expenditure for both parties that might incurred
during the process of this transaction. I look forward to hear from you as soon as you received
this e-mail. Best Regards, Dr Morton Lowel (MANAGER)


Anti-fraud resources: