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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: edman awucha <awucha777@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <awucha_ed@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:44:36 +0000
Subject: AN URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL




ECO BANK INTERNATIONAL
PLOT 115/120,LOME TOGO,BP I357 LOME.
+228/9279498

Atten DearI AM PLEASED TO GET ACROSS TO YOU FOR A VERYPROFITABLE BUSINESS PROPOSAL,THOUGH I DON?T KNOW YOUNEITHER HAVE I SEEN YOU BEFORE BUT I GOT YOUR CONTACTTHROUGH MY PRIVATE SEARCH. I AM THE MANAGER OF ECO BANK INTERNATIONAL LOME TOGO .THE INTENDED BUSINESS IS THUS, WE HAD A CUSTOMER, AFOREIGNER FRENCH BUSINESS MAN, RESIDENT IN LOME. HEWAS A CONTRACTOR WITH ONE OF THE GOVERNMENTPARASTATERS HE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF US$ 30MILLION(THIRTY MILLION US. DOLLARS)IN OUR SECURITY VOULT FORSAFE KEEPING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MAN DIED FIVE YEARSAGO UNTIL TODAY NON OF HIS NEXT OF KINS HAS COMEFORWARD TO CLAIM THE MONEY.HAVING NOTICED THIS I, IN COLLABORATION WITH ONE OTHERTOP OFFICIALS OF THE SECURITY VOULT HAVE COVERED HISFILE ALL THIS WHILE.NOW WE WANT YOU (BEING AFOREIGNER) TO BE FRONTED AS ONE OF HIS NEXT OF KIN ANDFORWARD YOUR ACCOUNT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS TOBE ADVISED TO YOU BY US TO ATTEST TO THE CLAIM. WEWILL USE OUR POSITIONS TO GET ALL INTERNAL DOCUMENTSTO BACK UP THE CLAIMS. THE WHOLE PROCEDURES WILL LASTONLY TEN WORKING DAYS TO GET THE FUND RETRIEVEDSUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT TRACE EVEN IN FUTURE.YOURRESPONSE IS ONLY WHAT WE ARE WAITING FOR AS WE HAVEARRANGED ALL NECESSARY THINGS. AS SOON AS THIS MESSAGECOMES TO YOU, KINDLY GET BACK TO ME INDICATING YOURINTEREST. THEN I WILL FURNISH TO YOU WITH THE WHOLEPROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT THE DEAL IS SUCCESSFULLYCONCLUDED.FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE WE HAVE AGREED TO GIVE YOU 30% OFTHE TOTAL SUM AT THE END OF THE TRANSACTION. IT ISRISK FREE AND A BIG FORTUNE FOR BOTH OF US.WITH YOURMAXIMUM CO-OPERATION, THIS TRANSACTION IS NOT EXPECTEDTO LAST FOR MORE THAN 10 WORKING DAYS. ALLCORRESPONDENCE TOWARDS THIS TRANSACTION WILL BETHROUGH TELEPHONE AND FAX AND E-MAIL.PLEASE REPLYTHROUGH THIS E-MAILI AWAIT YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE.
MR EDMAN AWUCHA.
_________________________________________________________________
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