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: "princess makeba" <princessmakeba-16@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mrs.princessmakeba@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:41:33 +0200
Subject: From :Mrs.Princess Makeba

>From :Mrs.Princess Makeba
Add:43 Nelson Mandela Avenue
South Africa
This is my son Number:
09-27-83-243-0704
you can call him any time

Dear:Sir/Madam

Good Day,
Please, kindly pardon me for any inconvenience this letter may cost you
because I know it may come to you as a surprise as we have no previous
correspondence.

I got your contact as I was searching for helping hand in your country, this
is why I decided to appeal to you directly for assistance because I' have
no relations or friends in your country for help me. I am Mrs.Princess
Makeba from Zimbabwe. I am a widow being that I lost my husband last year.

My husband was a serving director of the Tobacco exporting board until his
death. He was assassinated last January by the rebels following the
political uprising.

But before the death of my husband, he anticipated some dangers and so he
deposited the sum of (US$7.2 million United States Dollars) in the name of
our only son (Fortune Makeba) with the help of reputable security company in
south Africa with the intention of using it to open fertilizer manufacturing
company among other companies in our neighboring country (Swaziland) after
his university education.

On the 15th January 2005, the war veterans and some supporters of (ZANU-PF)
ruling party trooped into our compound and assassinates him (my husband) to
death. Since then, they have been terrorizing my only son (Fortune
Makeba),but he managed to escape to a neighboring country, South Africa as a
political asylum seeker (refugee). But his position in South Africa does not
permit him to open an account or run any huge financial business.

I want you to do me a favor to receive these funds to a safe account in your
country or any safer place as the beneficiary.

For your assistance, I have two options for you. Firstly you can choose to
have 20% of the money for your assistance, and helping my family investing
these funds, or you can go into partnership with me for the proper
profitable investment of the money in your country. Which ever the option
you want, please do notify me in your reply.

I have plans to do investment in your country, like real estate and
industrial production. This is my reason for writing to you. Please if you
are willing to assist me and my only son Fortune, indicate your interest in
replying soonest.

Upon your immediate response, I will immediately arrange and send to you all
the informations that will empower your good self in finalizing the
transaction with the security company in South Africa. I will also send to
you the agreement that will protect both interests. And also further
information about your self is necessary for I can not play on this.

Thanks
best regards.
Mrs.Princess Makeba

_________________________________________________________________
Customise your home page with RSS feeds - visit MSN SA today!
http://za.msn.com/


Anti-fraud resources: