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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: "taofik malik" <t_malik.tm5@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: t_malik001@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:31:47 +0000
Subject: Extremly Confidential Reply Urgently!!

FROM THE DESK OF MR TAOFIK MALIK.
MANAGER BILL AND EXCHANGE.
BANK OF AFRICA.(B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO.
WEST AFRICA.

RE: TRANSFER OF ($27,500.000.00 USD)
(TWENTY SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS)

Dear Friend,

This short memo would certainly come to you as surprise due to the fact that
we haven't had any previous correspondence with each other Inspite of
this, I will appreciate it if you will permit me to inform you of my desire
to execute a business with you which will certainly be of a mutual benefit
to both of us.

I am the bill and exchange manager of Bank OF Africa (BOA), Ouagadougou
Burkina faso. I Hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and
confident that i am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our
both families. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of
($27.5)million TWENTY SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLAR to your
account within 10 or 14 banking days. This money has been dormant for years
in our Bank without claim.

I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our
deceased customer(the owner of the account)died along with his supposed next
of kin in an air crash since July 2000.For more information about the crash
you can visit this site:(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm)

I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasurer as an abandoned fund.
So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the bank can release the
money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would
like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not
interested.Upon receipt of your reply i will give you full details on how
the business will be executed and also, note that you will have 25% of the
above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me.Waiting to
hear from you.

Thanks.
Yours truly,
MR TAOFIK MALIK (B.O.A)

_________________________________________________________________
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