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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: "FRANK JONES" <frankjones79@web2mail.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 17:04:59 +0700
Subject: SIGNIFY YOUR INTEREST TO ASSIST ME

PLEASE FOR CONFIDENTIALITY PURPOSE, YOU ARE ADVISED TO CONTACT ME THROUGH MY
SECURE EMAIL ADDRESS: frankjones_79@yahoo.com

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

PERMIT ME TO INFORM YOU OF MY DESIRE OF GOING INTO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOU.I GOT YOUR AND CONTACT FROM THE NETHERLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AND
INDUSTRY.AND I PRAYED OVER IT AND SELECTED YOUR NAME AMONG OTHERS DUE TO
IT'S ESTEEMING NATURE AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS GIVEN TO ME AS A REPUTABLE
AND
TRUST WORTHY PERSON I CAN CONFIDE ON AND BY THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS I MUST
NOT
HESITATE TO CONFIDE IN YOU FOR THIS SIMPLE AND SINCERE REQUEST.

I AM MR.FRANK JONES, THE ONLY SON OF LATE MR AND MRS STEPHAN JONES.MY
FATHER
WAS A VERY WEALTHY MERCHANT,WHO INTO LIABILITIES OF BUYING AND SELLING IN
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS BASED IN ABIDJAN,IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS
POISONED
TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO A BUSINESS
DEAL DISCUSSION.

WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 1995,MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPECIAL
BECAUSE I AM MOTHERLESS. BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 24TH APRIL 2005,
IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN ABIDJAN, HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BED SIDE AND

TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A SUM OF US$5.5M (FIVE MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATES DOLLARS) LEFT IN A BANK HERE IN EUROPE.THAT HE USED MY NAME
AS
HIS ONLY SON FOR THE NEXT OF KIN IN DEPOSIT OF THE FUND.HE ALSO EXPLAINED
TO
ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH THAT HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS
ASSOCIATES,THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY
CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER THIS MONEY AND USE IT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE.

FOR THIS SIMPLE REASON,I ARRANGED WITH A TRAVEL AGENT,WHO HELPED ME TO
TRAVEL TO AMSTERDAM-NETHERLANDS WHERE THE FUND IS DEPOSITED.I AM RIGHT NOW
IN AMSTERDAM AS A REFUGEE.

I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS.

1) TO HELP ME RETRIEVE THIS FUND AND HELP PROVIDE A BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THIS

MONEY WOULD BE TRANSFERED INTO.
2) TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND AND ME
3) TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY TO FURTHER MY
EDUCATION AND TO SECURE A RESIDENTIAL PERMIT FOR ME IN YOUR COUNTRY.


MOREOVER,I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 20% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR

YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR
NOMINATED ACCOUNT OVERSEA. FURTHERMORE,YOU CAN INDICATE YOUR OPTION TOWARDS

ASSISTING ME AS I BELIEVE THAT THIS TRANSACTION WOULD BE CONCLUDED WITHIN
SEVEN (7) DAYS,SIGNIFY YOUR INTEREST TO ASSIST ME.

ANTICIPATING HEARING FROM YOU SOON.

THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

EMAIL ME DIRECTLY ON EMAIL:frankjones_79@yahoo.com

BEST REGARDS,
MR.FRANK JONES.





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