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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: "Dave Yorke" <daveyorke10@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:38:19 +0100
Subject: Request


Greetings from Dave Yorke,

I am Dr. Dave Yorke, Group Accountant (R.B.T.T) However, I have already sent
you this same letter by post one month ago, but I am not sure if it did get
to you since I have not heard from you, hence my resending it again.

I discovered a dormant account in my office, as Group Accountant with
Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. It will be in my interest to transfer
this fund worth $28.5M Dollars (Twenty Eight Million Five hundred thousand
Dollars) in an account offshore. Can you be my partner?

Regards and respect,

Dave Yorke.

Anti-fraud resources: