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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: "douglasboateng_ecowasghana" <douglasboateng_ecowasghana@gawab.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:44:37 GMT
Subject: The Fact You Must Know

Good day VICTIM-FULLNAME,
 
Thanks for your Mail in this deal.i won't  be surprise if you are skeptical over this transaction due to how strange it might sound and both of us has not met each other before my proposal but i will want you to believe that God's way is different from that of human beings. Moreso deals like this had been successfully executed by two unknown strangers.This propels me to put you  through to the true picture of this risk free deal which mainly exist here in West Africa  where corruption and looting is the order of the day hence Government officials in high positions uses this mean to divert monies abroad by foreigners like you for their future investment if they retire or been fired from office since our stay in office does not last long due to changes in government which always allow re-shuffling of offices .I want you to benefit from this opportunity which i believe my contact to you among every persons in the whole world is Divine. Before contacting you,i had series of prayers and fasting for divine direction to an honest and trusthworthy person who will not betray me once the fund is in his/her custody.
 
 I will have to let you know that there is scam in Africa especially in Nigeria where corruption and bad governance has taken its base hence they have what is reffered as 419 their penal code.I am not a Nigerian rather am from Ghana which is rated the best democratised country in africa and also the most peaceful nation in Africa with less corruption.That is why our illustrious Son Mr.Koffi Annan retains his seat for the second time as the Secretary general of United Nations.Let me tell you, in every transaction there is original and fake and it is from original that fake emerges which is what you can see in the internet
 
I know you are a very honest and open person and with that quality, you will always appreciate truth when they are told. yes, but you fail to realise that there are looted funds from African countries that is in different banks in Europe, Asia and America. However, one thing I want you to have at the back of your mind is that, there can not be any fake if there has not been the original, is out of original that fake was created and I want to state here unequivocally that I am the original and not fake which i can swear with my life that am not a scammer.
 
I am not the first person to carry out this kind of business and I am very sure I will not be the last, even if I decide not to siphoned out this funds some other person will still do it and benefit and continue to rule over people like me who want to be honest to the society.  In case if you don’t know, it is not peculiar to ECOWAS ORGANISATION alone nor African countries either but all over the world. 
 
There is no government official in all over the world who can swear that his hands are too clean as far as public funds diversion  is concern, even recently it was in the news of how some United States and United Nations representative in Iraq awarded some fictitious contract and how they awarded some Juicy Oil Deal to the companies they have interest Why, you may ask, the answer is very straight.
 
No body want to remain poor once you have any opportunity to change your life standard and I believe that I have served and contributed my own good measure to the good of ECOWAS and I can not see anything wrong if I should retire as a fulfilled person. I don’t know any other way to explain this whole thing to you in other to make sense, but one thing I would tell you is that you should not allow sentiment to affect your sense of reasoning, try and be matured in reasoning so that we can both benefit from this great opportunity that I have extended to you.So many unscrupulous elements has misrepresented and used the opportunity of the facts that there are real diversion of funds by government officials  by formulatimg similar proposal to extort money from innocent citizens. Which i can vow with my life that it is not the same in my case and mind you, due to the scam scourge especially in Africa, one can hardly be advised to coperate with african except for brave ones whose spirit is high as they know that where  ever there is bad eggs, there must be good ones
 
I want you to reflect on the business once again over the night and let me know what you feel but I can only beg you of one thing, don’t out of your unnecessary doubt destroy what I have laboured for over the years rather tell me your mind now that we have not started the transaction.

I am willing and ready to give you any provideable proof to prove my sincerity of purpose.Feel free to ask me questions where necessary.
 
Having resolved to entrust this transaction into your hands, I want to remind you that it needs your commitment and diligent followup, if you show commitment and follow my instructions this entire process should be over within 7-14 working days.

First, I will like to know your line of business and your marital  status. You should note that this project is highly capital intensive, this explains why I have to be very careful. I need your total devotion and trust to see this though I know we have not met before, but I am very confident that we will be able to establish the necessary trust that we need to execute this project.

All procedures which includes getting the Inheritance "Probate" from Ghana high court legalising your name as the next of kin to the deceased and other inheritance rights and privileges of the said inheritance will be perfected by an attorney which I will employ here on your behalf to give the entire process a legal backing.
 
Before we commence, as this deal is my last hope which trust and transparency need to be applied,Here is my brief background to know whom you are  dealing with.I am 53 years old born in Kumasi - Ghana,with 4 children (one boy and three girl from my former wife.I am now in new marriage with a Cape Verdian wife who is currently pregnant for me.On completion of all procedures by the attorney, all the documents will be sent to you to be submitted to Ecowas if they demand it.this will invariably make you the bonafide beneficiary of the said funds.
 
Our dream is after this fund has been succesfully transferred into your account,we and our families will come over to your country to share the fund according to the agreed percentages and subsequenly invest our share of the fund in your country subject to your supervision where we will live throughout our life.please your major role is to research on where we will invest our share of the fund as we are civil servants and have little or no knowledge about business enterprises.I want to re-assure you that this transaction is 100% risk free as it has been covered from any act of enquiry from whatsoever but we once more solicit your confidentiality in this deal as we will not like anything that will jeopardise the progress of this transaction.
 
To guide ourselves physical and spiritually,i implore you to go into prayers/fasting immediately we proceed on this deal so that your name/company can be approved with other contractors that will be paid their contract funds soonest as God is supreme.It is when this fund is approved,we can then be happy and rejoice over the ownership of the fund.To avoid mistake,Always follow my instructions and ask questions when you could not understand to avoid any mistake from your side and once you receive any message from either the paying bank or our organisation (Ecowas).call me immediately for relevant advise.
 
Please If you are not going to participate full in this transaction,you are free to say NO now that the transaction has not been documented on your name as we will not like any disappointment in between the transaction rather lets us be ordinary friends.
 
As soon as I hear from you, I will send to you an official application of claim to fax to Ecowas for the process to commence.
If you wish to find out further about the existence of our organisation,here is the official website of Ecowas Fund whose headquarter is in Republic of Togo and Abuja secretariate www.sec.ecowas.int
 
But never you contact anybody concerning this transaction in this site since you are aware that this   deal known only between me and you.If authority of Ecowas happens to know,i will not only sacked from office without benefit i  will be prosecuted.We have to do everything to protect this deal as here lies our future.A word is enough for the wise. Call me imediately you receive this email for confirmation on my  direct number ; 00233-242-105-057
 
Hoping to hear from you
 
In God we trust
 
Mr. Douglas
________________________________
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