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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: "Martin Victor" <samsiaw2@msn.com>
Reply-To: accountunit_martin@yahoo.it
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:04:23 +0000
Subject: Re: URGENT REPLY.....................

FROM VICTOR MARTIN.
AUDIT AND ACCOUNT DEPT.
UTB BANK LOME-TOGO.
TEL +228 9154178

My Dear ,

This proposal is real and I want you to consider it very important and I am
assuring you that it is not a joke or anyhow letter.

I am Mr VICTOR MARTIN,of UTB Bank LOME-TOGO, Audit and Account Unit, during
the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account
opened in the bank in 1994 and since 2000 nobody has operated on this
account again.

After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that the
owner of the account died with his family. Remain honest to me till the end
of this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you
will not disappoint me.

The owner of this account who was Mr Charles Balassi,from California a
foreigner and an Industrialist who died along side with his next of kin,
since November 2nd 1999 in plane crash, until now no other person(s) knows
about this account or could give any documentary evidence concerning this
account. Meanwhile the total amount involved is US$35,000,000.00 (Thirty
five million united states Dollars),

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to a local account, without valid international foreign
"Agreement", but could only be approved to any foreigner with valid
international documents: Passport or Driver’s license and Foreign Account
because this sum is in U.S. dollars and the former owner of the account Mr
Charles Balassi, is a foreigner too, thus the money could only be approved
to a foreigner.

I will like both of us to build confidence and trust to sign an agreement
that will build us together before transferring the money to any account of
your choice where the fund will be safe for safety keeping,To prove the
authenticity of the business I have the deceased file jacket with me
regarding any question that may comes up from the bank.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given you 20% of the total
amount, 70% will be for me, while 10% will be for expenses that might have
incurred during this process this business is 100% risk free, be rest
assured that this deal is legal.

I look forward to your erliest reply
Best regards.

Mr VICTOR MARTIN,


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