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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: s m <sonia.marthins@yahoo.ca>
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 06:53:10 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: From Sonia Marthins


Dearest One,

With regards to your reputation and Co-worshipper of God who will not disappoint nor deny me in faith, please i am directing this mail of assistance to you in which i believe you will be of great assistants to me that will make the begining of never-endingfamily relationship,My name is Miss Sonia Marthins, 19 years old and a university undergraduate from sierraleaone,I and my father escaped from our country at the heat of the civil war after loosing my mother and two of my elder brothers in the war. As a result of the political instability in my country, my father established his cocoa and coffee export business in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He went back to Sierraleone for the sales of his properties, and was shot and killed by the rebel troupes fighting to take over the government of the country.
The death of my father has now made me an orphan and thereby exposing me to danger. Before his unfortunate death, my late father depositd the sum of $10.5m(Ten million Five hundred thousand dollars) in a security company here in abidjan which he deposited as a family valuable iteam in other to safegard the money in the consignment. As a result of the present insecurity of lives and property in this country now do to the political crises over here, I wish to request your assistance to retrieve and transfer the consignment to your country also to help me with a letter of invitation that will enable me get a visa to come over to your country to secure a residence permit so that i will continue my education and to invest the fund in a viable business venture,


I am in a desire of your humble assistance in this regrds,

1. Can you honestly help me?
2. Can I completely trust you?
3. Will you make an arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a resident permit in your country?
4. Moreover,I am willing to offer you 15% of the total sum as compensation for your effort/input after the successful Retrievement of the consignment into your care on my behalf in your country,

Thanks and be blessed as i wait patiently for your urgent response,

yours sincerely
Sonia Marthins










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