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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: "Maria Sankoh" <mariasankoh29@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mariasankoh6@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:14:29 +0000
Subject: HI IS ME MARIA SANKOH

HI IS ME MARIA SANKOH
WRITING FROM
ABIDJAN-IVORY COAST IN
WEST-AFRICA .

PLEASE TREAT ME WITH LOVE , I AM CITIZENS OF SIERRA LEON ,THE ONLY CHILD AND
DAUGHTER OF LATE MR FODAY SANKOH ,THE FORMER AFRC AND RUF COMMANDER IN
SIERRA LEON .

SINCE THE DEATH OF MY LATE FATHER , I HAVE BEEN RESIDING IN ABIDJAN ON
TEMPORARY POLITICAL ASYLUM IN HCR /CARITAS REFUGEE CAMP HERE IN ABIDJAN
,IVORY COAST IN WEST AFRICA , ON MY ARRIVAL AFTER MY LATE FATHER'S BURIAL.

I CAME INTO ABIDJAN WITH A DOCUMENT THAT COVERS THE MONEY BOX WHICH MY LATE
FATHER DEPOSITED IN ONE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN ,
IVORY COAST . THE BOX CONTAINED ,
SUM OF US$ 5,500,000.00( FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES
DOLLARS)
MY LATE FATHER DEPOSITED IT WITH MY NAME AS THE NEXT OF KIN BEFORE HIS
SUDDEN DEATH.

THIS MONEY WAS PART OF THE MONEY MY LATE FATHER MADE THROUGH HIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT MR AHMED TEJAN KABBAH) IN SIERRA
LEON, SINCE MY ARRIVAL HERE WITH THE DEPOSIT DOCUMENT,
I HAVE VISITED THE COMPANY AND HAVE CONFIRMED THE MONEY BOX STILL IN THEIR
CUSTODY PENDING WHEN I WILL COME TO RETRIEVE IT AS THE ONLY CHILD OF MY LATE
FATHER AND NEXT OF KIN OF THIS MY DADIES MONEY BOX , SINCE MY MOTHER HAVE
DIED LONG AGO .

MOREOVER,I DO NOT WANT TO INVEST THIS MONEY IN ABIDJAN, DUE TO THE CONSTANT
POLITICAL WAR IN AFRICA AND BAD RECORD WHICH MY LATE FATHER LEFT IN OUR
COUNTRY BEFORE HIS DEATH. AND WHICH HAS ALSO KEPT ME AWAY FROM ENTERING MY
COUNTRY FOR SAFETY.
MY PLAN IS TO USE THIS MONEY TO INVEST IN A PROFITABLE BUSINESS IN ANY PART
OF THE WORLD THAT IS CONDUCIVE FOR ME , WHILE I GO BACK TO MY STUDIES,


NOW , I AM ASKING FOR YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE AS A PARTNER OR PLEASE RELATE
WITH ME AND HELP RETRIEVE THIS BOX FROM THE SAFE KEEPING COMPANY FOR ME WITH
SINCERITY.
I WANT THIS BOX TO BE DELIVER TO YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY WHERE WE WILL INVEST
THIS MONEY IN PROFITABLE BUSINESS .

AGAIN, I WANT YOU KNOW THAT, IT WAS DEPOSITED AS FAMILY VALUABLE BY MY LATE
DADDY BUT THE REAL CONTAINT IS MONEY,
IS A TOP SECRET BETWEEN ME AND MY LATE DADDY .
PLEASE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME , REPLY ME WITH :

(1)WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THIS MONEY DO YOU INTEND TO CHARGE FOR YOUR HELP FOR
ME ,

(2)INCLUDE YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE NO ,SO THAT I MAY CALL YOU .

I SHALL INFORM YOU WITH WHAT NEXT AS SOON AS YOU REPLY ME IN MY EMAIL
ADDRESS

I SHALL BE SO HAPPY IF YOU RELATE WITH ME AND PLEASE TRY KEEP EVERY THING
CONFIDENCIAL, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME OK .

WITH LOVE
FROM,
MARIA SANKOH

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