joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "george otigbu" <georgeotigbu231@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 06:40:49 +0000
Subject: BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

From: Mr. George Otigbu.
Adress: 117 Hunters Street Yeoville
Johannesburg,South Africa.
Phone:NO.+27-73-2863-707.
Fax :+27865122913
Private Email: georgeotigbu@yahoo.com

Dear Sir/Madam,
Please I am Mr. George Otigbu. the son of late chief Edward Otigbu of Sierra
Leone. I got your contact from the Information Centre in South Africa. My
sources of your contact gave me the courage and confidence to rely on you. I
am writing you in absolute confidence primarily to seek your assistance to
transfer our funds of Sixty million united states dollars ($60,000,000.00)
now in the custody of a Finance Firm here in South Africa to your private
account as our late father's business partner.

SOURCE OF THE MONEY:
My late Father, chief Edward Otigbu a native of Mende district in the
Northern province of Sierra Leone, was the general Manager of Sierra Leone
mining co-operation(S.L.M.C.) Freetown. According to my Father, this money
was the income accrued from mining co-operation's over draft and minor sales
before the peak of the civil war between the rebels forces of major John
Kone and the combined forces of ECOMOG peace keeping operation that almost
destroyed my country, following the forceful removal from power of the
Civilian Elected President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah by the rebels.

My Father had already made arrangement for his family, my Mother ,my Sister
and myself to be evacuated to South Africa. My Father deposited the fund for
the safe custody until after the war when he will join us. During the war in
my country, and following the indiscriminate looting of public and
Government properties by the rebel forces, the sierra Leone mining coop was
one of the targets looted and destroyed. My Father including other top
Government functionaries were attacked and killed by the rebels because of
his relationship with the civilian Government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. As a
result of my father's death, and with the news of my uncles involvement in
air crash, dashed our hope of survival.

Our only hope for now is in the funds my late Father deposited. To this
effect, I humbly solicit your assistance in the followings ways,
(1) To assist me claim this fund from the Finance Firm as co-beneficiary.
(2) To transfer this money in your name to your country.
(3) To make a good arrangement for a joint business investment on our behalf
in your country and under your good directives as the caretaker.
(4) To secure a college for my little sister in your country to further her
education. And to make arrangement for our travel with you to your country
after we have transferred the funds.

Note: All the documents issued upon the deposit of the funds is in my
custody. For your assistance I beg to concede 20 % of this money to you for
your effort and kind assistance. Honestly this transaction is 100% risk free
and most be treated seriously/ confidentially for security reasons.

Please include your telephone and fax numbers for easy communications and to
enable me forward all the important documents that back up this transaction
if necessary. I advise that you respond to by email and call me.

Yours truly,
Mr. George Otigbu.

_________________________________________________________________
See their smiles, hear their laughter with Windows Live Messenger!
http://messenger.live.com


Anti-fraud resources: