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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: "Alex Johnson" <alex.johnson10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: alexjohnson004@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:35:00 -0500
Subject: Your Assistance!

Goodday,

I really regret any embarrasment this mail might cause you as we've never by
any chance met before.I want you to patiently read this offer.

I am Engineer Alex Johnson a Delegation member of OPEC in West Africa. I am
the linkman between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries -
OPEC and a petroleum sector in a West African country. I also attend OPEC
meetings constantly in Geneva and other parts of the world.

Through the sale of our allocated oil quota in OPEC, I was able to make
$30.5 million US Dollars, which is currently deposited in a Security and
Finance company. I want you to assist me to claim this money as I cannot
claim it directly because I am still a civil servant, and the code of
conduct bureau forbids me to acquire such amount of money while in office.

It is on this basis that I am contacting you for assistance, if you will be
interested, claim documents will be processed and sent to you. The documents
with which the fund is deposited will be changed to reflect you as the new
beneficiary so that you will be eligible to collect the fund on my behalf.

I will give you 20% of the fund for your assistance. I am aware of the
international monitoring of all large-scale financial movements after the
September 11th 2001 terrorist attack on America and to avoid any state of
financial investigation I will provide a classified clearance paper from the
relevant body which will exonerate the money from either drug, money
laundered or terrorist related proceeds.

Upon the receipt of your email, indicating your interest to help me in this
transaction I will then send to you the Certificate of Deposit issued to me
by the security company where the money was deposited to further buttress
the bonafide nature of this transaction.

I want to assure you that there is no risk attached in this transaction. You
should also provide me with your Mobile Phone no and fax numbers for easier
communication.

Expecting your response.

Best regards,
Alex Johnson.

God Bless you for your kind assistance.Note that i intend to give 10% of the
total money to the less priveleged as soon as the money has been transfered
to your account.Once again i look forward to your reply.

_________________________________________________________________
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