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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: Janet Bruce <janet_bruce05@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 02:39:54 +0100
Subject: Reply!!!

Dear friend,
LETTER FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE ON FUND TRANSFER
 
First,i must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction.This
by viture of its nature as being utterly confidential and TOP SECRET.
I got your contact in our search for a foriegn partner who has the
ability and reliability to prosecute a transaction of great magnitude

involving a pending business transaction requiring maximum confidence.
We are top officials of the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing
Abuja,Nigeria. We are intrested in ivestments in your country
with funds which are presently trapped here Nigeria.In other to

commence this business we solicit your assistance to enable us transfer
into your account the said trapped funds.
The source of this fund is as follows:

During our last year Auditing, we find out that some government officials set up companies and awarded themselves
contracts which were grossly over invoiced in various Ministries, We
also identified a lot of inflated contracts funds which are presently
Deposited in a BANK here in Lagos. However,by virture of our position as
civil servants and members of the panel ,we cannot acquire this money
in our name.I have therefore ,been delegated as a matter of trust by my
colleagues of the panel to look for an overseas patner into whose
account we would transfer the total sum of USD$29,500,000.00 [TWENTY
NINE MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS].
Hence we are writting you this letter.We agreed to share the money
thus:
[1] 10% FOR THE ACCOUNT OWNER [YOU]
[2] 90% FOR US [THEOFFICALS]
It is from the 90% that we wish to commense investments in your country
as you will also stand as our foriegn agent over there.Please note that
this transaction is 100% safe and we hope to commense the transaction
latest seven[7]days from the date of the receipt of the following
information bellow.
 
[A] COMPANY'S NAME/BENEFICIARY OF ACCOUNT.

[B] YOUR PERSONAL TELEPHONE NUMBER AND FAX NUMBERS.

[C] BANK ACCOUNT/SORT/ABA/ROUTING NUMBERS WHICH THE FUND WILL BETRANSFERED TO .

[D]YOUR BANK ADDRESS,TELEPHONE NUMBERS/FAX NUMBERS.

The above information will enable us commense the transfer of this
funds into your account in your country without delay and also to open an
account in your name.
 
We are looking forward to doing this business with you and solict your
confidentiality in this transaction.
 
Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter using the above email
address,I will bring you into the complete picture of this pending

project when i hear from you.With Kind regards,
 
Mrs Janet Bruce

 

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