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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: benjamin mataruse <mataruseben11@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <mataruseben02@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 15:06:32 +0200
Subject: Dear Sir,/ Madam,



Dear Sir,/ Madam,

We knew is wrong to contact you through this means but we are .desperate and our present condition now is frustrating, that was why we use this medium to fasting up our request.

I am Benjamin Peter Mataruse the son of the late assassinated senator in Zimbabwe but presently I am in Abidjan, capital city of Ivory Coast in West Africa, for the past two months now. I am contacting you to seek your good assistance to transfer and invest USD 15.5 million belonging to our late father which is deposited in a bank in Abidjan. I want you to assist us provide your bank account, so that the bank will transfer our father's money into your account in your country and also take care of me and my sister to move out of this country.

Why we contacted you is that we went to the bank to withdrawn this money since our late father use my name as the next of kin to the deposit but I was told by the bank director that my late father made an agreement with them that I have to get to the age of 25yrs before I can make claim of the money or alternatively I should provide a guardians who can make the claim on my behalf as to ensure that this money is invested properly that was why I contacted you. I will offer you 20% of the total money as compensation for your noble assistance.
My regards to your family.
Thanks
Benjamin
(Tel :0022507044894).
_________________________________________________________________
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