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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: "Mrs. Patricia Etteh" <patriciaetteh2@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: patriciaettah@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:59:45 -1200
Subject: I NEED YOUR PARTNERSHIP


From: Mrs. Patricia Etteh
Tel: 234-80-60997114
Private Email: Patriciaettah@hotmail.com

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION

I am Mrs. Patricia Etteh, the immediate resigned Speaker (House of
Representative) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I know you must be
surprised at this development, but I choose to tell you the truth because of
my sincere wish to treat every man, as I would expect to be treated.

While in the office, I witnessed a lot of unpatriotic acts by men of high
position in Nigeria during former President of Nigeria, Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo, concerning payment of foreign contractors. Several times,
allocations were mapped out for foreign contract payment and a lot of
contractors payments were approved but their funds would never be released
to them because some group of men on high shares the money among themselves
and leave the concerned contractors with nothing but continues spending in
pursuit of their payment.

Payments like this will never reach the hand of the beneficiaries why
because they continuously use them as a means to loot funds out of the vault
of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). These same people because of my
indiscriminate campaign against their acts accused me of taking bribes of
over US$80 Million from local/foreign contractors. In any case I was forced
to resign.

My purpose of writing this letter to you is not to tell you these stories
but provide a recovery opportunity to your financial stand. While all these
was going on, I sensed it would end like this so I was able to move out the
sum of US$24.7million in cash through a friend working with Spanish Cargo
Company with a branch here in Nigeria. This consignment was registered with
the courier company as a diplomatic luggage belonging to an undisclosed
foreigner and they will be shipping it to you via Spain/London to any
country of destination.

Furthermore, the weight of the consignment is 78kg each (156kg) but I
managed to pay for 70kg, which cost US$8,600.00. On no account should you
disclose the content of the crate with the diplomatic courier services for
fear of betrayal. So do not allow them to know that the content is money.

In the meantime, you will be required to contact the Courier Company in
Spain to know the actual situation with the consignment. Contact of the
courier company will be given to you as soon as I receive a positive
response from you to handle this deal with utmost secrecy. You will give
them your address for the shipment of the consignment and then get back to
me as soon as possible so that I can give you the delivery document of the
consignment and a letter of authentication, which proves you the rightful
beneficiary of the consignment.
I will be coming over to your country immediately the consignment arrives in
your country for my 50% share of the US$24.7 Million.

Awaiting a positive reply from you.

NOTE: Anytime you call, for security reason, my personal assistant would be
there to discuss any issue relating to this deal with you. Feel free to talk
to him. Call me on this number 234-80-60997114.

Thank you for your anticipated co-operation.

Best Regards,

MRS. PATRICIA ETTEH

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