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: MR KOJO ANNAN <kelvinthomas1@netscape.net>
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:27:15 +0200
Subject: BE MY PARTNER


Dear Partner,
My names are Kojo Annan. I am the son of the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan.My motive for contacting you is based on my urgent need of a partner that can assist in securely and investing $47,000,000.00. The source of these funds is my now overtly known participation as a consultant with the Swiss firm Cotecna Inspection S.A, in the Iraqi Oil for Food Program. Though the program has been
discontinued since 2004, the public scrutiny into how the affairs of the program were run has refused to go away.I was on transit in Europe when I was contacted on the phone by my lawyers that a further revelation about two incriminating emails had broken on the said program. I had to immediately re-organize my
immediate travel plans. Coincidentally, I had just taken delivery of the above mentioned funds. Because I knew that the press would be looking out for me, I had to hurriedly seek for a storage company to keep away the trunk cases containing the said funds.Fortunately, a 145 page report released by an independent inquiry committee headed by U.S. Federal Reserve Board chairman Paul Volcker has exonerated me and my dad of any wrong doing. You can get first hand news on this by visiting
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050329-031329-6020r.htm
Following this good news, I would have since gone back to retrieve the suitcases but I know I am being watched because of the Oil for Food scandal. This is why I require your assistance. You are to proceed immediately to Europe with the relevant claim documents which I will provide you with, to retrieve the suitcases. I have already notified the storage company in writing, of my intention to elect someone that would be coming on my behalf and it is ok with them. They have simply asked me to arm my elected person with a consent letter. The cases where logged in as personal effects.
Before you proceed, ensure that you have perfected modalities to take care of the funds once they arrive your account. Soon after, my attorney would meet with you to sign relevant documentation to evidence our partnership in a profitable venture we will decide on. You are to get 20% for your troubles.if you are interested in my proposal.Please send me your :
full names
contact address
direct phone number
occupation
I await your urgent response.
Best Regards.
Kojo Annan.
please reply me through this email:kojo1annan@excite.com.

Anti-fraud resources: