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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: Robert Smith <robertsmith186@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:00:06 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: URGENT


GOOD MORNING TO YOU,

I WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT I SAW YOUR COMPANY PROFILE AND I NEED YOUR HELP FOR THE CLEARANCE AND INVESTING OF MY CLIENTS MONEY IN YOUR COMPANY.PLEASE PERMIT ME TO USE THIS MEDIUM TO EXPLAIN MY PROBLEM TO YOU IN DETAIL AS I TOLD YOU.FIRSTLY,I WILL LIKE TO TELL YOU WHO I AM SO THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AND COMPREHEND MY POINT CLEARLY.

MY NAME IS BARRISTER,ROBERT AND AM HERE IN REPUBLIC OF GHANA AND I AM FROM CONGO DEMOCRACTIC BUT I HAVE MY CHAMBER HERE IN GHANA,WEST AFRICAN.

WITHOUT MUCH EMPHASIS,I HAVE TO BRIEF YOU WHY I HAVE CONTACTED YOU,A CLIENT OF MY JOSEPH BY NAME LEFT HIS WILL UNDER MY CUSTODY,BUT IS UNFORTUNATE HE DEAD WITH HIS FAMILY IN A TRAIN CRACH IN SPAIN 2003 BUT BEFORE HIS OUT PASS,I BEEN HIS PERSONAL LAWYER HE LEFT HIS WILL UNDER MY CUSTODY AND IN THE WILL HE SAID HIS PROPERTIES SUCH AS LAND AND HOUSE WILL BE GIVEN TO HIS INLAW AND HE MADE A FIXED DEPOSIT HERE WITH ONE FINANCIAL COMPANY BANK IN GHANA,VALUE AT U$D 14 MILLION AND HE SAID IT WILL BE GIVEN TO THE REST OF HIS FAMILY.

PLEASE WHAT I NEED FROM YOU,I WANT YOU TO STAND AS THE BENEFICIARY,AS YOU FROM THE SAME NATIONALITY WITH HIM AND YOU WILL OPEN AN ACCOUNT WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERED AND YOU SHOULD SEND THE FOLLOWING THAT WILL ENABLE US TO CHANGE THE EFFECT OFTHE BENEFICIARY IN YOUR FAVOUR SO THAT THEY CAN TRANSFER IT TO YOUR ACCOUNT OVER THERE.
I NEED THE FOLOWING,
YOUR FULL NAME>
MOBIL NUMBER>



ONCE I RECEIVE ALL THIS WILL ASSURING ME YOU ARE READINESS AND WILLINGNESS TO HELP ME CLEAR AND CLAIM THIS
MONEY AND ASSURE ME ALSO OF HELPING ME TO INVEST THE MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BETRAY ME ONCE THE MONEY ARRIVE IN YOUR ACCOUNT.WE WILL SUBMIT FOR THE CHANGE OF THE BENEFICIARY IN YOUR NAME TO ENABLE THE FINANCE COMPANY TO TRANSFER AS WE AUTHORISE.

ONCE AGAIN I AM ASSURING YOU,I HAVE THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE WILL AND ALSO THE ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF THE FIXED DEPOSIT THAT WILL ENABLE US TO PROCEED ON.

MAY GOD BE WITH YOU AS I AWAIT TO HEAR YOUR POSITIVE DECISION TO HELP.

THANKS
YOURS REGARD
BARRISTER ROBERT.
REPLY AS SOON.



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