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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: "John Githaka." <johngithaka7@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: johngithaka2005@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:20:23 +0100
Subject: From: John Githaka,


Investment proposal
From: John Githaka,
Accra-Ghana.
Email: johngithaka2005@terra.com

Dear Friend,
First I must solicite your strictest confidence in this transaction and I
pray that my decision to contact you will be given genuine approval
considering the facts you and I just meet in the net. I wish to use this
opportunity to introduce myself to you; I am John Githaka, from
Sierra-Leone.

I write you to let you know my desires to invest in your country; I am the
first son of Mr. Johnson Githaka, who was the former Minister of Mines and
Industry. My father and my junior sister had some bullet wounds which they
sustained from the rebels on their way traveling to the Capital city
Freetown. My sister died on the spot while (U.N) Peace keeping force rescued
my father, he later died after eleven months.

Before his death he told me about a trunk box containing $18.2 million U.S
Dollars which he deposited with a security company. He said I should claim
it to take care of my self and my Mother. He warned me never to go to
Sierra-Leone for my safety. My late father deposited the fund in the
security company in Ghana for safe keeping of the fund.
Presently, my mother and I are here in Accra Ghana West Africa to notify the
security company for the claims of the FUND, and we are staying in the
refugee camp.

Therefore I want you to lecture me on how best we can invest this money in
your country and as I told you, I really wanted to buy a house when I come
there. My father told me it is dangerous to invest this money in Africa to
avoid suspicion, due to bad economy and political instability facing Africa
countries that is why I want to invest it abroad and you should assist me to
arrange for that.

For your foreign assistance we have agreed to offer 15% of the total amount
of the money. We have all the vital documents covering the deposit fund and
the ownership which I can send to you on request.

NOTE: I have never disclosed this to any person apart from you, so you have
to keep this matter very confidential. Send me your Private phone and fax
numbers for more information and a brief description of yourself for mutual
relationship.

Reach me on my private Email: johngithaka2005@terra.com
Best Regards,
John Githaka,

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