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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "aroma baraj" <barajaroma16@mailbox.hu>
Reply-To: barajaroma02@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 00:21:16 +0000
Subject: REPLY URGENT...


FROM MR BARAJ AROMA.
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO.
WEST AFRICA.

Dear Friend,
I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise. I am the bill and
exchange
assistant manager BANK OF AFRICA HERE IN OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO.

I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am
about to
repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families. I need your
urgent assistance
in transferring the sum of ($18.3)MILLION USA DOLLARS immediately into your
account.
The money has been dormant for years in our Bank here without any body
coming for it.

I want to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased
customer
(the owner of the account) who died a long with his supposed next of kin in
an air crash
since October 2001. I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasury as
an unclaimed fund.
So this is the reason why I contacted you so that we will release the money
to you
as the next of kin to the deceased customer.

Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret. Upon receipt
of your reply,
I will send you full details on how the business will be executed and also
note that you will
have 33% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to transact the
business with me.

Thanks and hoping to hear from you.
Mr Baraj Aroma.

Anti-fraud resources: