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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: "yusuf" <yusuf_ibrahim1@yahoo.it> (may be fake)
Reply-To: yusuf_ibrahim2@yahoo.it
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 08:16:49 -0700
Subject: assistance


Dear Sir,

Please I am contacting you as I saw your address in Internet but pardon and
forgive me for this breach of protocol, as I do not know how to personally
communicate with you.
I know this letter will come to you as a surprise; but this letter is borne
out of my desire to establish a mutual business relationship with you,please
keep it confidential!.
Please read this letter with an open heart. I am Mr Yusuf Ibrahim the son of
Dr Ibrahim Sonte the former deputy finance minister under the ousted
civilian government in Sierra Leone.
My father was killed and mutilated by the military junta led by Major Paul
Koroma after over throwing the elected government of President Tejan Kabba.
Though, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events
disturbances in Sierra leone, but the,pressure of war drove me and my mother
out of Sierra Leone into exile in South Africa.Where we have been living
under political asylum for three years.
Sadly, my mother died of cancer three [3] months ago and was buried here in
South Africa. Prior to her death, she handed over to me a certificate meant
for a secret deposit which my father made in a security/finance company in
South Africa.
This deposit is worth [US $ 7,000.000.00] Seven Million United States
Dollars only, and this money is in cash.
My father made this deposit in the heat of the conflict then in my country,
with the hope to convert it[money] to his personal use at the end of the
war, unfortunately he was killed when the conflict intensified as result of
his opposition to the rebel forces.

After my mother's funeral, I contacted the security company to confirm this
deposit and establish ownership as well made an arrangement for this deposit
to be moved through diplomatic channel to Dubai(uae) Presently, this sum of
U.S$7,000000.00 (seven million dollars) is
currently being deposited in a security vault in Dubai I am seeking for your
honest and sincere participation in the retrievement and reinvestment of
this money.
I cannot do it alone due to my complete ignorance of the business world,
more over I am only 27 years old I will give you a negotiable percentage of
the principal sum in deposit if you assist me to retrieve and reinvest this
money in any profitable area of business in your country.
Please, I need your assistance urgently, because the more this consignment
is still with the company, the more the demurrage accumulates.

God Bless You.
Thanks yours,
Yusuf Ibrahim.



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