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: "usman abubakar" <usman_abu4@colombia.com>
Reply-To: usman_abu11@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 06:49:48 +0000
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED


*FROM: MR ABUBAKAR USMAN*
*AUDITING / ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA(BOA)
BURKINA-FASO WEST AFRIA.*

****
*My dear I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum
of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this
magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you
that all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to
the urgency of this transaction.*
**
*PROPOSITION; I discovered an abandant sum of $11.5M(Eleven Million Five
Hundred thousand United states Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of
our foreign customers who died along with his entire family. Since his
death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims
to this money as the heir. I cannot release the fund from his account unless
someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in
our banking guidelines. Upon *
*
this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of
kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me
for the funds $11.5M(Eleven Million Five Hundred thousand United
statesDollars) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next
of
kin.It may interest you to note that I have secured from the probate an
order of madamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of my mutual
business endeavour by *
*
furnishing me with the following;
1. Your Full Names and Address.*
*2. Direct Telephone and Fax numbers.*
*
These requirements will enable me file a letter of claim to the appropriate
departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can
be made. I shall be compensating you with $4.6 Million Dollars on final
conclusion of this project, while the rest $6.9Million shall be for me. Your
share stays with you while the rest shall be for me for investment purposes
in your
country.*
**
*If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent email.
Regards,*
**
*Your;s faithfully,
MR ABUBAKAR USMAN*

Anti-fraud resources: