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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: "mrs lizy johnson" <liroberts@she.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: liroberts90@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 20:10:17 +0700
Subject: urgent reply needed


Dear sir
My name is mrs elizabert roberts the wife of roberts johnson of Zimbabwe. This might be a surprise to you where I got your address. I got your address from online business directory in zimbabwe.
During the current war against farmers in Zimbabwe and from the support of our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our country, all the white farmers were ordered to surrender their farms to his party members and his followers.
My husband who was one of the best farmers in the country and treasury of the farmer's co-operation did not support his idea and so the party members invaded my husband's farm and burnt everything in the farm, killed my husband and made away with a lot of items in my husband's farm.
After the death of my husband, I and my children decided to move out of Zimbabwe because our lives were in danger with the money that my husband kept in his hidden safe in my house.
The amount contained in the safe is US$20M(Twenty Million United states Dollars) and we decided to code the money and move to the Republic of South Africa for onward movement of the money and my family to bangkok thailand where we deposited the money in a Security Company as a valuable item.
so because of my statue as a refugee here in bangkok thailand , i cannot invest or open any account in regards to business.
So thats why I decided to make contact with an overseas firm who will assist me to move this money out of thailand . for proper investment in his country So if you consider this proposal, we have agreed to give you 20% of the total sum for helping us to move this money out to your country and 10% will be mapped out for expenses both of us may incur during this transaction and 70% will be for me and family to invest in your country.
All I want you to do is to make immediate arrangements to open a non resident account in your name here in bangkok thailand, where this money is going to be deposited first before its onward transfer to your country account and also to send to me your personal phone and fax numbers for easy communication.
You can contact me to indicate your willingness to help us in this transaction.
NOTE: That this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutely confidential, so I would like you to maintain the confidentiality of this transaction if you are not willing to assist me.
thanks in advance and iam looking forward to your favourable response
best wishes and remain blessed
MRS ELIZABERT JOHNSON
(FOR THE FAMILY)

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