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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: "ben martins" <ben_20martins@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 14:41:46 +0200
Subject: STRICTLY CONFIDENTAL PLEASE

FROM: DR. BEN  MARTINS                                        
5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, 2001
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
TEL:+27- 83-348-8252.
 
ATTN:
 
My greetings,    
 
TRANSFER OF (US$10.5 MILLION) TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STTES DOLLARS
 
We want to transfer to overseas (US$10.5 Million) from the Amalgamated Bank of South Africa ABSA.  I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new bank account immediately to receive this money, even an empty account can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain  honest to me till the end for this important business, trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future.
 
I am Dr. Ben  Martins, the Auditor General of ABSA, during the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again.  After going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a heir; hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.  
 
The owner of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner and an industrialist, he died since 1993.  And no other person knows about this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager of Diamond Safari (Pty.) South Africa.
 
We want to transfer this sum US$10.5 million (Ten Million five hundred thousand US Dollars) into a safe foreigners account abroad, but I don?t know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers licence.  
 
The money is in US Dollars and the former owner of the account Mr. Allan P. Seaman is a foreigner too and the money can only be approved into a foreign account.  Considering the recommendation I received in your favour by the South Africa Chamber of Commerce as regards your suitability and reliability in carrying out this transaction, I hereby crave your indulgence to co-operate with me in this mutually beneficiary transaction.  
 
I am revealing this to you, believing in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take.  Please while replying include your private telephone and fax numbers including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit.  Also note that upon your reply, we may opt for telephone and fax communication, as this channel may not be safe for the transaction.
 
With my influence and the position of the bank official we can transfer this money to any foreigner?s reliable account that you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for shari ng.   The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place.
As you receive this fund in your account.  I will use my position and influence to obtain legal approvals for I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately.
 
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 5% processing of the transfer,while the remaining 65% will be my. Please if you are interested in this transaction, contact me with these telephone and numbers above and I will give you the procedure of the business.
 
I look forward to your earliest reply.
 
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Ben Martins


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