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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: "Adams Stevens" <aadamssteven2006@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2006 13:17:08 +0700
Subject: From Adams Stevens

Attention,
FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION, Due to my careful search for an honest, reliable and sincere business partner, I got your contact from a reliable source and I ask if you can be trusted not to break an agreement? Still, it took me time to make up my mind to contact you and to offer you this proposal of mine of which my whole life depends on. I WRITES TO INFORM YOU MY DESIRE TO INVEST, AND TO BUY A LIVING HOUSE IN YOUR COUNTRY My name is Adams Stevens, the Son of Mr. Behki kelvin Stevens, a white farmer and supporter of the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party in Zimbabwe.
My father was abducted, shot and killed during the current crises against the farmers in Zimbabwe with the supports of President Robert Mugabe who claimed all the white-owned farms for his party members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to surrender all farms to his party members and his followers. My father is One of the most successful farmers in our country and because he did not support Mugabe`s ideas, Mugabes supporters invaded his farm and burnt everything in the farm, killing him and made away with a lot of items in my fathers farm.
During the crises and before his death, my father had deposited with a FINANCE HOUSE IN ASIA the sum of (USD $25.5 MILLION). After the death of my father, I decided to move to Republic of SENEGAL where I re-located under political asylum as a refugee to seek for foreign partner overseas that will assist me to move this money out of THE FINANCIAL HOUSE to your country as I have made up my mind to invest and live in your country. As an asylum seeker I am not allowed to operate any Bank Account within DAKAR-SENEGAL.I have agreed to offer you 20% of the total sum for your assistance as soon as the money gets into your account while 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that may be incurred in the course of this transaction both local and international.
I have sought the assistance of an attorney in Thailand, who I have given the entire relevant document concerning the finance house and the money. I want truth and honest to be our watch word in this transaction and please treat this transaction with strictly confidential for the successful out come of it. All I want you to do is to furnish me with your personal phone and fax numbers and also your private e-mail address for easy and urgent communication. Note that this transaction is absolutely confidential.
Thanks for Your Co-operation
Yours Sincerely
Adams Stevens


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