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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: JOHNSON MALACHI <j-malachi14@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <johnsonmalachi61@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 18:27:36 -0700
Subject: DEAR GOOD FRIEND



FROM: JOHNSON MALACHI.
HEAD OF ARCHIVES /RECONCILIATION
INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC
PLOT, 11 BURMA ROAD APAPA
LAGOS-NIGERIA.

(RE: NEXT OF KIN)
GOOD DAY.

DO NOT BE SURPRISED AT RECEIVING THIS MAIL. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO HARM IN TRYING SOMEONE TRUSTWORTHY AT HEART, A NEW RELATIONSHIP WILL GO A LONG WAY TO HELP ME.

I NEED YOU TO COME AND STAND AS 'NEXT OF KIN' TO A CLIENT MR. CHARLES ZONDER WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH HERE IN LAGOS NIGERIA, SOME YEARS AGO, MR. CHARLES ZONDER MADE A NUMBERED OF FIXED DEPOSIT OF THE SUM OF EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (USD$8,000,000.00) IN MY BANK.

UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT MENTION A NEXT OF KIN IN ANY OF HIS PAPERS WITH HIS CONTRACTOR’S -TEXACO OIL OR US, SINCE THEN THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE TO OUR INTERNATIONAL ADVERSARIAL CALLING FOR ANY RELATIVE TO CONTACT US.

SINCE AFTER HIS DEATH TILL NOW THERE IS NO RESPONSE, THE INTERESTS HAVE ROLLED OVER, BRINGING THE TOTAL CLAIMS TO TEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (US$10,000,000.00), MY DEPARTMENT HAS THE MANDATE TO OVERSEE THE INTERNAL CLEARANCE FOR CLAIMS SUCH AS THIS AND THE FINAL APPROVAL SIGNATURE FOR PAYMENT IS MINE, YOU HAVE NO RISK BY LAW.

YOU ONLY NEED TO SHOW-UP ONCE BEFORE THE MONEY WILL BE PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT ABROAD. HOWEVER, PLEASE KNOW THAT THE MONEY WILL BE PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT FOR US TO SHARE IN RATIO OF 60% FOR ME AND WHILE 40% IS FOR YOU, THERE ARE REASONS WHY WE NEED TO CLAIM THIS MONEY FAST, I WILL GIVE YOU MORE COMPREHENSIVE DETAIL WHEN YOU REPLY.

THANKS AND REGARDS.
JOHNSON MALACHI.
TEL: +234-802-244-0545.
_________________________________________________________________
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