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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: thomas mbeki <thomas_mbeki444@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 21 May 2006 16:18:27 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Private Brief Kindly Read My Email


GOOD DAY

DEAR FRIEND.

BUSINESS INFORMATION.

MY NAME IS MR.THOMAS MBEKI THE CHIEF AUDITING OFFER OF STANDARD BANK JOHANNEBURG,SOUTH AFRICA. THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPEND IN THIS BANK IN 1980 AND SINCE 1990 NOBODY HAS OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILE IN THE RECORDS I DISCORVERD THAT IF I DO REMMIT THIS MONEY OUT URGENTLY IT WOULD BE FORFEILTED FOR NOTHING.

THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MR.FERNANDO CARLOS A FOREIGNER, HE WAS A MINER AT KRUGER GOLD COMPANY (KGCSA), A GEOLOGIST BY PROFESSION AND HE DIED SINCE 1990 NO OTHER PERSON KNOWS ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING CONCERING IT THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER BENEFICIARY AND MY INVESTIGATION PROVE TO ME AS WELL THAT THIS COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT AND THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS (US$18 MILLION) EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS I WANT TO FIRST TRANSFER (US$10MILLION) TEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS FROM THIS MONEY INTO A SAFE FOREIGNER ACCOUNT ABROAD BEFORE THE RE

I AM CONTACTING YOU BASED ON THE FACT THAT ARE A FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CAN ONLY BE APPROVED FOR PAYMENT TO A FOREIGNER MORE SO IT CAN NOT BE APPROVED BY LOCAL BANK HERE AS THIS MONEY IS IN US DOLLARS HENCE THE FORMER OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS FORIEGNER TOO I KNOW THAT THIS PROPOSAL WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DONT KNOW OUR SELVES BEFORE HOW EVER I BASE MY MOVE ON TRUST AND GOD DIRECTIVE AND WE STILL HAVE TO MEET POSSIBLY SIGN SOME AGREEMENT BEFORE THE FINAL TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO ANY OF YOUR CHOSEN DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT.

WE HAVE ALSO MADE ARRANGEMENT ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF ALL BANK CHARGE HERE SO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PAY ANY MONEY FROM YOUR OWN MONEY ALL THE NEEDED CHARGE WILL BE PAID BY US OK ALL WE NEED FROM YOU IS HONEST AND CONFIDENTIAL AND ALSO FORWARD YOUR FULL NAME AND YOUR

PHONE FAX NUMBER FOR MORE DETAILS.

PLEASE TREAT WITH UTMOST CONFIDENTIAL.

BEST REGARDS.

THOMAS MBEKI


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