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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: "Rivera Johnson" <jhrivera4@gala.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 14:30:12 +0200
Subject: Dear Friend


*Dear Friend,*


*My name is Rivera Johnson, I am a girl of 18 years old, my younger brother
is 14 years of age. We both are citizens of Czech Republic.We lost our
parents in an auto crash accident 1994, I and my brother have since stayed
in an orphanage home in my country. I am now in the Republic of Benin with
the intention of retrieving my late father funds from a security company
that he saved while he worked in Benin as a railway contractor in 1990-
1992, two years before his untimely death in 1994.*


*Before my dad passed away, he willed all his property to me and my brother
but gave instructions that his wealth should not be released to us till we
reach 18 years of age, so I just received the documents he signed with the
security company in Benin from the daughter of my late dad's attorney
stating that my late father kept the sum of USD 50 Million United States
Dollars for safe keeping in the security company. EMS OFFSHORE SECURITY
Company is the name of the Security institute.*


*Everything there has been confirmed intact.I contacted you because your
contact was traced from my dad's directory. The reason I need your help is
that, the security company ask me to provide a relation or trusted person
that is aged and will stand as guarantor and to retrieve the valuable. The
African adult age is 20 which makes me not matured yet to recieve it. I want
to attain positive result on this soon because my brother is in a critical
stage back at home. And if our government knows about this it will raise eye
balls on us regarding the sum.*


*I do not have anyone I can trust that is why i am reaching you and my late
father's attorney is late too. You are my only hope of getting this funds
and precious stones, so please do not let me down. All that is needed is
your full contact details and your banking details to enable the security
company make the transfer directly to you. 25% of the total money and
precious stone will be given to you as compensation for your assistance.*


*I and my brother would get the remaining 75% from the whole funds. I would
then seek for your assistance in investment, me and my brother have suffered
a lot and I would not wish for such to return back into our lives. You can
get back to me with this same e-mail. I would be expecting to hear back from
you as soon as possible if or if not you are willing to help us out. This
transaction will take a total of 7 days to finalise.*


*I have atached my pictures and my brothers picture for you to see, I have
also attached my international passport copy and documents I received from
my late father's attorney.*

*Best regards
Rivera Johnson.*

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