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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: "victor mensah" <vic_mensah_4g@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:29:51 +0000
Subject: THIS IS A GOOD DAY

FROM THE OFFICE OF MR VIC. MENSAH,
MANAGER TREASURY DEPARTMENT
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK
OF GHANA.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

Dear:sir
I CANNOT IMAGINE THE SUPRISE THIS WILL BRING TO YOU,BUT BE REST ASSURED IT
IS IN GOOD FAITH AND FRIENDLY INTENTIONS,FROM A FRIEND IN DEAR NEED OF YOUR
ASSISTANCE ,BEARING IN MIND THE CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIRED IN THIS ABSOLUTE
RISK-FREE BUSINESS.
I AM MR VICTOR MENSAH, THE MANAGER OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT OF
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK HEAD OFFICE IN ACCR GHANA.RECENTLY,WE
DISCOVERED A DORMANT ACCOUNT WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY VALUED USD
5,000,000.00(FIVE MILLION US DOLLARS)THAT BELONG TO ONE OF OUR NUMEROUS
CUSTOMERS MR CHOI SOOHYUN WHO PERISHED IN A PLANE CRASH(KOREAN AIR FLIGHT
801)WITH THE WHOLE PASSENGERS ABOARD ON AUGUST 6TH 1997.BELOW IS THE WEBSITE
OF THE PLANE CRASH

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list/

SINCE THE DEMISE OF THIS OUR CUSTOMER,I PERSONALLY I HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN
INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN,BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE,AS NO ONE HAS
COME TO CLAIM THIS FUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.BECAUSE OF THIS WE HAVE DECIDED
TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN,AS NO ONE HAS
COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED TO DATE .
AS A CIVIL SERVANT WITH THE BANK AND A GHANANIAN I CANNOT STAND AS A NEXT
OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER.IT IS UPON THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT I AND MY COLLEAGUES
IN THIS DEPARTMENT DECEIDED TO CONTACT YOU TO COLLABORRATE WITH YOU TO PULL
OUT THIS DORMANT FUND,WE HAVE IT IN MIND TO GIVE YOU A 25% OF THIS TOTAL
FUND IF THIS PROPOSAL MEETS YOUR INTEREST, URGENTLY REACH ME THROUGH MY
EMAIL ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER TO ENABLE ME GIVE YOU THE FULL DETAILS OF
THIS TRANSACTION AND HOW IT IS GOING TO WORK OUT.
WHAT I WANT FROM YOU IS FOR YOU TO ACT AS THE DECEASED NEXT OF KIN.I AND MY
FAMILY IN THIS TRANSACTION WILL PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR OUR
OWN SHARE OF THE MONEY. I EXPECT YOU TO KEEP THIS BUSINESS STRICTLY
CONFIDENTIAL AND SECRET AS YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW THAT I AM A BANK OFFICIAL.
BE REST ASSURED THAT THIS BUSINESS IS 100% RISK FREE ON BOTH SIDE AND EVERY
ARRANGEMENT TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY TO THE ACCOUNT YOU ARE GOING TO PROVIDE
HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED PROVIDED WE MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND
SECRECEIRITY INVOLVED.
AND IN REGARDS TO THAT FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO YOU AS
SOON AS I RECIEVE YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE VIA E-MAIL OR TELEPHONE.

ANTICIPATING YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.

BEST REGARDS,

MR.VICTOR MENSAH.
233-276117846

_________________________________________________________________
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