joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: vcitorialuwis <victorialuwis2005@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrsvictorialuis2008@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 02:25:37 -0800
Subject: Dear Friend

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Anti-fraud resources: