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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: mrkoffi martins <mrkoffi_martins_3@yahoo.co.in>
Reply-To: mrmartins7@myway.com
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:27:10 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Please coll me


Dear Friend,
I'm Mr. Koffi Martins, the network/database administrator of one of the rural bank here in Ghana. Five years ago an Australian by name Gerald smith who was a gold merchant, married to a Moroccan both resident here in Ghana open a fix deposit account of twelve million united state dollars ($12.000.000.00) with our bank.
Two years later it was brought to our notice that, Mr. Gerald smith, the wife and the two kids were involved in fatal motor accident, the
Whole family died as the result of the accident. Since then no body has come over to our bank to claim the fix deposit as the next of kin to the late Mr. Gerald smith.
Last month the 3 topmost directors of the bank had a meeting and decided to divert the money to their individual account since the fix deposit account of the late Mr. Gerald was declared dormant and nobody has come forward to present him self as the next of kin to the account.
If by next month nobody shows up as the next of kin to the fix deposit, the directors will definitely share the money and divert it to their individual accounts. So on this ground, I am contacting you to please present your self as the next of kin to the late Mr. Gerald Smith so the money will be transferred to your account.
What you be requested to present to the bank as the next of kin to the late Mr. Gerald Smith is the 14 secret fix account code number that was given to the late Mr. Gerald smith when he open the account, as the database administrator I have the code number and I will send to you if you accept my proposal.
Being the database administrator, I have access to all the documents concerning the account of the late Mr. Smith so I’ll give you all the documents the bank will request to transfer the money to you as the next of kin to the late Mr. Smith.
This transaction does not request your physical presence here in Ghana; hence I’ll give you all the requested information’s to follow up the transaction. Once the transfer is made to your account abroad, I’ll come over to meet with you so I can get my own share of the money.
Waiting your urgent response to this mail so I can give you the contact information of the bank.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Koffi Martins.


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