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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: barrister Lawrence <barris0w@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <Dr.Lawrence0027@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 23:15:28 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY



Barrister Lawrence DonkohLawrence Donkoh & Associates,Solicitors and advocates of the supreme courtOrganizational representatives and notary public,Accredited bank attorneys.3rd Floor, Kojo Bruce House,Okai Mensah Link, Adabraka Accra Ghana.Tel:+233-242-309850Fax:+233-28-765456
Good day, I got your contact information from internet during my search for a trust worthy partner from Korea for this project and I decided to contact you.I am barrister Lawrence Donkoh , a resident bank attorney with office in Accra capital of republic of Ghana. I am writing this mail to you having gone through exhaustive search and enquiries about a certain investor and businessman,a Korean citizen by name Mr.Jay Yoon, who was resident in Ghana west Africa for several years before his death.Late Mr.Jay Yoon owned a small mining business in Obuase in Asante region of Ghana (Jay Yoon Mining company Ghana Ltd)Late Mr.Jay Yoon died in an auto crash together with his entirefamily (a wife and two kids) along Kumasi road in Ghana in march 2003.The entire family were buried in Accra cemetry. Late Mr.Jay Yoon operated an account with a bank here in Ghana and the amount in the account is valued at Fifteen million us dollars($15 million USD). I have been mandated by the authorities of this bank to help them by locating a relation of this dead customer who will inherit this account as a next of kin,I had resorted to different means of getting at any relation or possible next of kin of this customer but have not found any person that matched my search criteria and I am supposed to report back to the bank for the deposit account record to be liquidated as I have found no one,I now have plans to present you to stand as a next of kin to late Mr.Jay Yoon because you have the same country of origin with him. We will share this money in the ratio of 50:50,it will be my responsibility to declare this and you need not worry as this money will be legally paid out to you and no one will ever know about this as long as you keep this mail and its contents confidential. I would require your friendship and sincere cooperation . I await your quick response . Yours faithfully ,Lawrence Donkoh (Esq)Principal partner
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