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: "Phillip Moore" <phillipmoore147@sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 22:11:06 +0000
Subject: << Award Lottery Notification >>










                                            Award Notification. 


We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of your selection as one of the five winners of the promotional Free Lotto Sweepstakes held recently as part of our EXPERIMENTAL BONANZA. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 1,400,000.000USD.(One Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars.)

We in the Free Lottery Sweepstakes is by this program,Launching our model computer balloting lottery draws, developed and designed to satisfy the cravings of the ever-growing number of participants in our various lottery programs. With funds accrued exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and will be transferred in record time.
After randomly selecting 15,000 participants from an initial database of 300,000 emails all participants were selected through a computer ballot system from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe, USA and South America as part our International Promotions Program, which was conducted in view of launching ourselves into the Sweepstakes Industry Worldwide and zoning all participants by their respective continents from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have emerged as one of the winners of the Grand Draw prize. You are to contact our agents by email or fax within a week
of receiving this notice.
Please contact your fiduciary agent
 
Mr.Danny Alvares
External service manager,
Free lotto sweepstakes United Kingdom
Phone No:+447024015993
EMAIL:  freelottodrawcenter@myway.com

 
In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your correspondences with your claims agent

Ref No: MELI-T/ 17-F044262312
Batch No:901/00319/HLP
Zonal Draw No: GMLA2-003
Grand Draw No: 12099


Congratulations once again.


Sincerely,
Mr Phillip Moore

Lottery Cordinator.
The Lotto People 
PO Box 42 Peterborough
PE3 8XH
United Kingdom

Anti-fraud resources: