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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: "musthapha" <muspham_ben1170@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 12:43:30 +0100
Subject: Mutual Business co-operation(ATTN: MANAGING

MANAGING DIRECTOR.

Dear Sir,

I am Mr Musatapha Accounts supervisor with National Bank,Freetown, Sierra Leone. I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On June 6, 1999, a Foreign Diamond consultant/contractor with the Sierra Leonean National Diamond Corporation, Mr.Simon Kelly made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at SD$27,000,000.00, (Twenty-Seven Million Dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, I sent a reminder and finally I discovered from his contract employers, the Sierra Leanean National Diamond Corporation that Mr. Simon Kelly died from a rebel attack. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Simon Kelly did not declare any kin or relations in all!
his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of USD$27,000,000.00 has carefully/confidentially been moved out of my bank to a Finance security company in the Gambia for safekeeping. No one can ever come forward to claim it. According to Sierra Leonean Law, at the expiration of 8 (eight) years,the money will revert to the ownership of the Sierra Leone Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I want you as a Foreigner to stand in as the rightful owner of the money. I deposited it in a security company in two trunk boxes though the security company does not know the contents of the boxes as I tagged them to be photographic materials for export. In the circumstance, I want to present you as the rightful owner of the boxes in the security company so that you can be able to claim them with the help of my attorney. This is simple. I would like you to provide immedia!
tely your full names and address as well as your direct telephone and
fax number so that the Attorney will prepare the necessary documents which will put you in the right place as the owner of the boxes. The money will be moved out for us to your country and share in the ratio of 80% for me and 20% for you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the Attorney and this will guarantees the successful execution of this transaction on your behalf, please reply immediately via my email address. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction and swing into the necessary action while I confide in you hoping you will not betray me at last.
Thanks and God bless

Mr Musatapha.

CONTACT ME THROUG MY DIRECT EMAIL BOX (muspham_ben2000@yahoo.com or call me immediately on my direct line +220 9906421



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