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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "helyn nkonor" <helynnkonor1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: helynnkonor@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 12:21:05 +0200
Subject: From: Mrs. Helyn Nkonor

*

From: Mrs. Helyn Nkonor
Residential Address: 147Illovo Street Sandton
Johannesburg- South Africa.

Tel/Fax: +27 86 6614771*
Dear Sir
Due to my careful search for an honest, reliable and sincere business
partner, I got your contact from internet and I ask if you can be trusted
not to break an agreement? Still, it took me time to make up my mind to
contact you and to offer you this proposal of mine of which my whole life
depends on. My name is *Mrs. Helyn Nkonor*, the wife of Late Mr. Robert M.
Nkonor, A Zimbabwean business Man, politician and Farmer.

During the current crises against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the
supporters of President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to
his party members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to
surrender all farms to his party members and his followers. My husband was
one of the most successful multi- farmers in our country and because he did
not support Mugabe's ideas, Mugabe's supporters invaded his farm and burnt
everything in the farm, killing him and made away with a lot of items in my
husband's farm. Earlier, before his death, my husband had deposited with a
security company in South Africa the sum of *(US$16 Million ¨C Sixteen
Million United States Dollars)* of which he made I and my son aware of the
documents.

After the death of my husband's, I and my son decided to move to Republic of
South Africa where we re-located under political asylum as a refugee to seek
for foreign partner overseas that will assist me to move this money out of
the security company to his country for investment purpose. As an asylum
seeker I am not allowed to Invest or operate any Bank Account within South
Africa. That is why I need this urgent help from you to assist me to
transfer the funds out of South Africa and also to assist us in investing
the funds in your country. I have agreed with my son to compensate you out
of the total sum for your assistance as soon as the money gets into your
account.

I want truth and honest to be our watch word in this transaction for the
successful out comes of it.
Please reply me as soon as possible if you are willing to work with me.
Thanks and God bless you.
*Sincerely Yours,
Mrs. Helyn Nkonor*

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