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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: "MR.FRANK JONES" <frankjones79@aim.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:49:03 -1100
Subject: SIGNIFY YOUR INTEREST TO ASSIST ME

PLEASE FOR CONFIDENTIALITY PURPOSE, YOU ARE ADVISED TO CONTACT ME THROUGH MY
SECURE EMAIL ADDRESS: frankjones79@web2mail.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:frankjones79@web2mail.com

BEST REGARDS,
MR.FRANK JONES.





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