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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: "phillip cohen" <phc_07h@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:29:11 +0000
Subject: Urgent response

You're attention:

I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money
from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude
will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all
will be well at the end of the day’s decided to contact you due to the
urgency of this transaction.

I discovered an abandoned sum of (Nine Million United States Dollars) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died. Since his
death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims
to this money as the heir. We cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as
indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this discovery, I now seek your
permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all
documentations will be carefully worked out for the funds (Nine Million
United States Dollars) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's
next of kin.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavor by furnishing me with the following; Your Names and
Address and direct Telephone number.These requirements will enable me file a
letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in
your favour before the transfer can be made.
I shall be compensating you on final conclusion of this project. Your share
stays with you while the rest shall be for investment purposes in your
country, as I’m due for retirement.

Should you be interested, please send me an email on the email address below
for further information that will help us make some decisions on how you
will receive the money. phillip.cohen@katamail.com

Regards

Phillip Cohen


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