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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "ericngues71" <ericngues71@wooow.it>
Reply-To: eric_ng71@myway.com
Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:01:53 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP/ USE OF YOUR PERSONAL OR COMPANY BANK ACCOUNT

From: Eric Nguessan & sister.
Refugee camp abidjan,
Cote d'Ivoire.

Dear respectful,

Going by the fact that we have not met before, nor have a
former contact with you, permit me to inform you our desire
of going into business relationship with, which by virtue
shall bring dignity and honour to our respective families on
it's conclussion.

Purpose of contact:
Our parents, Chief & Mrs. Thomas Nguessan (late) were very
wealthy Gold/Ivory marchants based in Abidjan, capital of
Cote d'Ivoire, but recently, on their return from a business
trip in Bangkok to negotiate on business deal, they were
attacked by some unknwon assasins. Unfortunately our mother
died instantly while our father was taken to a
specialist hospital where he died six days after. So, before
he (my
father) finally gave up ghost, he called me on his bed-side
as his only son and disclosed to me confidentially about
this US$12.5M cash deposit he made with one of the
International commercial banks here in Abidjan for onward
transfer abroad for our proposed family investment.

My father also revealed to me that it is because of this
very huge
sum that his business rivals & associates wished him dead,
thereby urged me with urgency to go to his personal
underground safe in our family villa to collect to my
custody all the depository documents of the fund, then
quicly look for a trustworthy & God-fearing foreign investor
who shall not betray us, to assist us transfer the money
oversea for investment in any lucrative business of our
choice for our future welfare.

Now, the funeral of our late parents is over and we have
choosing you with confidence to be our foreign business
partner, knowing that you will not betray us, in order to
help us transfer the US$12.5M to your
personal or company bank account for investment with you in
your country.

Importantly, I and my sister has agreed that 12.5% out of
the total amount will be your cash compensation while an
addition of 5% will be added incase of any expenses you may
incure on the process.

So, on your acceptance to assist us, we will be very glad to
hear from you soonest.

Thanks & God bless you.

Eric & sister



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