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: "steven megan" <stevemegan_35@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: info_stevemegan@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 09:22:20 +0200
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDEED.

PVT PHONE DETAILS,

+27-835-324-224

emailstevemegan_35@hotmail.com


Address:26 Elof Street Central Johannesburg,

South Africa.



ATTN : PLS,

I am Mr,Steven Megan the chief accountant of Almagameted bank of South Africa (ABSA). There is an account opened in this Bank in 1997 and since then till now 2006 nobody has operated on this account again.

After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if i do
not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Mr, Smith B. Andreas, a foreigner, and a miner
at Kruger Gold Company, a Geologist by profession and he died since 1999. No
other person knows anything about this account or anything concerning it,
the account has no other beneficiary, and my investigation proved to me as
well that this company does not know anything about this account. and the
money involved is Thirty Six Million United States Dollars (US$ 36 Million).

I want us to first transfer all this money into your safe overseas account .
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be
approved to a local Bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign
account because the money is in United States Dollars and the former owner
Mr. Smith B. Andreas is a foreigner too. I know that this message will come
to you as surprise as we don't know ourselves before. We will sign an
agreement, but be sure that it is real and a genuine business.

this why I am seeking for your assistance to please send me your your
telephone number and your fax number to enable me communicate with you for
futher explanations.moreover, mind you I am 38 years old with my only son
and two dougthers, then you have to promise me that you are not going to
temper this funds as your private money, because this money is for the
family future.

I only got your contact information from my secretary who operates computer;
with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business,
considering my position as a public servant.

You are only person that i have contacted in this business; So please reply
urgently so that i will inform you the next step to take immediately. Send
also your private telephone and fax numbers including the full details of
your account to be used for the deposit.

I want us to meet face-to-face and sign a binding agreement to bind us
together so that you can recieve this money into your account where the fund
will be safe. And i will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and
other investment as well.

Meanwhile, i am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner
with foreigner account and foreign beneficiary.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management
is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct
information of this account, which i will give to you as soon as you
indicate your sincerity to co-operate with me, and capability to handle such
amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instruction and advice
for our mutual benefit because this opportunity may never come again in my
life.


I need a truthful and God fearing person in this business i don't want to
make a mistake so i need your strong assurance and trust.

With my position in the officce i don't want anything that will jeopardize
my job so i advice that we should make secrecy and confidentiality in our
primary working condition, bearing in mind that i am a public servant.

I will also use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and
onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance
forms of the ministries and foreign exchange department.

in conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount,
60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have
incurred the process of the transfer. I look forward for your earliest
reply.

Yours sincerely,

Mr.Steven Megan.


Discover RSS technology at MSN South Africa!

Anti-fraud resources: