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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: "MOHAMMED MOMOH" <cydocument@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mo_momoh@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:51:28 -0700
Subject: JUST YOU AND ME

Dear Sir, I am Mr, Mohammed Momoh the manager of bills and Exchange at the Foreign Remittance Department of the Zenith Bank of Nigeria Plc.
I am writing this letter to ask for your support and co-operation to carry out this business opportunity in my department. We discovered an abandoned sum of $25,000,000.00 (Twenty five million United States Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his wife on November 1998 in a ADC Plane crash. Since we heard of his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to comeover and put claims for this money, because 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. Unfortunately, neither their family member nor distant relative has never appeared to claim the said fund. Upon this discovery I and other officials in my department have agreed to make business with you and release the total amount into your account, since no one came for it or discovered he maintained such account with our bank, otherwise !
the fund will be returned to the banks treasury as unclaimed fund. We have agreed that our ration of sharing will be as stated thus: 30% for you as the next of kin, 60% for us the officials in my department and 10% for the settlement of all local and foreign expenses incurred by us and you during the course of this business.
Upon the successful completion of this transfer, I and one of my colleagues will come to your country for the collection of our share.
It is from our 60% we intend to invest in (estate) and import Agricultural Machinery?s into my country as a way of recycling the fund. To commence on this transaction, we require you to immediately indicate your interest by a return e-mail and enclose your private contact telephone number and fax number full name and address and your bank account details to enable us file letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals before the transfer can be made. Note also, this transaction must be kept
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL because of its nature.
I look forward to receiving your prompt response. If you have any question please go ahead and ask me.
Thanks.
Yours Faithfully,
Mohammed Momoh.





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