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: "zaafira Wafeeq" <zaafira99@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: zaaafira99@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 05:20:46 -0700
Subject: I need your help

Dear Sir
As a new day comes I give Allah all the glory and I return all the praises to him, Went there is life I know there is always hope. No dream is lost until death cometh.
I must confess that it is with great joy and enthusiasm that I am writing you this mail which I know and believes by faith that it must surely find you in good condition of health. One is not bound to have all the joys in live. You may have everything in life but there are still those things which one may needed that seems very common to others and yet it kept on giving bad dreams. Everyone has his or her own share of pains to bear in life. I have got mine and you have got your. But we need to lean on each other to keep life comfortable.
You may be financially balance, physically fit and you may be lacking freedom which is a prime human right.
I am a wife to one of the former leader in Africa, Life was promising and everything was perfect until the darkest hour came and my husband was killed. During his regime in office he deposited in family name some reasonable amount in a security and finance company. This money was deposited as a family treasure and valuables in Thailand
When this political crisis increased to civil war I have to flee to Thailand with my children one boy and a girl for refuge. As a refugee or asylum seeker I don't have right and good representative to put and push for the claims of this fund.
Hence I contact you to assist me and my family to ensure that this fund is claim and transfer to where you think will be ideal for business investment.
All documents related to the deposition of this fund is with me in Thailand Refugee Camp.
I am delighted to send you this mail in other to build friendship and trust in you. Remember friendship and is the only unsinkable ship in the world. And I pray we should have a long lasting and profitable friendship. Gold is sold to those that know it value, really I know your value in regard to your profession and personality as an honest person.
I am look forward hearing from you. Please feel free to request for any information in regards to this appeal.
Sincerely yours.
Mrs. Zaafira Waafeeq


Anti-fraud resources: