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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: johnekoh@personal.ro
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:53:01 +0200
Subject: URGENT

From: - Engr. John Ekoh

Email: - johnekoh@personal.ro


Dear Sir,

EXTREMELY URGENT

I am Engr. John Ekoh, a Native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am an Executive Project Manager with the South African Department of Mineral and
Energy Resources. First and foremost, I apologized using this medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to
confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this medium.

Be informed that a member of the South Africa Export Promotion Council (SAEPC) who was at the Government delegation to your country during a trade
exhibition gave your enviable credentials/particulars to me. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal
described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources where I work as a Project Manager and with the cooperation of three other top officials, we have
in our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Twenty-One Million, One Hundred Thousand united states dollars (US$21,100,000.00) which we want to
transfer abroad with the assistance and co-operation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf into a reliable
company/individual account depending on your convenience.

More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence
your importance the whole transaction. This amount (US$21.1m) represents the balance of the total contract value executed on behalf of my Department by a
foreign contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost have been paid to the original contractor,
leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key Tested Telegraphic Transfer (K.T.T) to any
foreign bank account you will provide by filing in an application through the Justice Ministry here in South Africa for the transfer of rights and
privileges of the former contractor to you.

I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum will be 20% of t
he US$21.1 million, 60% for us and 20% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses. The business itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat it with
utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction.

I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me. Endeavor to contact me immediately through my secured telephone / fax number
whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will enable me contact other foreign partner with recommendation to carry out this deal.
I want to assure you that myself and my partners are in a position to make the payment of this claim possible provided you can give us a very strong
assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and Please remember to treat this matter as very confidential matter because we will not comprehend
with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government Service and remember once again that time is of the essence in this business.

Kindly establish your response directly by telephone/fax or my email- johnekoh@personal.ro to the committee's representative whose name appears
below. We wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

John Ekoh. (Engr.)

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