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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: "MRS VIVIAN T. ZUMA" <vtthemba@netscape.net>
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:36:56 +0200
Subject: Re:hello


MRS VIVIAN T. ZUMA
PETORIA JOHANESSBURG,
REPUBLICE OF SOUTH AFRICA,
Dear Sir/Madam,
Difficulties encountered has necessitated my search for a partner who will assist me.My name is Mrs.Vivian T. ZUMA,wife of late Mr.Frank ZUMA, who was murdered by the Zimbabwean veterans and irrate blackpeople.
I am writing from the Netherlands. I got your address from the internet through the consultancy directory during my search for a reliable and honest person to transact this business with and i write to solicit for your special assistance to a family shattered by a tyrannical government led by a dictator and his (ZANU-PF)ruling party-president Robert Mugabe.
Because of land and farm land crisis in Zimbabwe,our government secretly
sponsored the war veterans and some irrate party members to disposess the land being occupied by white farmers.This action has led to the killing of some members of opposition party including my husband(Frank ZUMA).
Before the death of my husband,he anticipated some dangers and so he deposited the sum of US$12m (twelve million United States Dollars) in the
name of our only son John ZUMA Jr,with the help of reputable security company in south Africa with the intention of using it to open fertilizer manufacturing company among other companies in our neighbouring country (Swaziland)after his university education.
On the 29th of June 2000,the war veterans and some supporters of(ZANU-PF)ruling party trooped into our compound and axed him(my husband)to death.Since then,they have been terrorizing my only son,John ZUMA Jr,but we managed to escape to the Netherlands from South Africa as a political
asylum seeker(refugee).But our position in the Netherlands does not permit us to open an account or run any huge financial business.
This is why I want this fund to be transferred into your private account so that you will assist him to invest it in your country.Hence,if you agree to assist us, we will offer you 20% of the money for your assistance, 5% will be for the possible expenses incurred in the process of this transaction,while 75% will be for our family investment in your country through your assistance.I need your urgent and confidential response.
Upon your immediate response,I will immediately arrange and send to you all
the informations that will empower your good self in finalizing the transaction with thesecurity company here in the Netherlands, I will also send to you an
agreement that will protect our interest, Kindly include more information about yourself to enable me proceed with the necessary documents.
Waiting for your prompt and positive response.Please read about problems
in Zimbabwe from the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/918781.stm
Best regards,
Mrs VIVIAN T. ZUMA.
(For The Family).

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