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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: "mike maurice" <mikemaurice3@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 17:59:18 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS ASSISTANCE


RE:TRANSFER OF ($9,000.000.00 USD} *NINE MILLION DOLLARS*

*Dear Sir*
We want to transfer to overseas account($9,000.000.00 USD) Nine million
United *StatesDollars*) from a Prime Bank here in South Africa,
want to ask you, If you are not capable to *quietly look* for a reliable and
honest person who will *be* *capable* and fit to provide either *an* *
existing* *bank account* or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately *to* *
receive* this money,
even an empty a/c can serve *to* *receive* this money, as long as you will
remain *honest* *to* me till the end for this important *business* *trusting
* in you and believing in God that you *will* *never* let me down either now
or in future.
I am the Auditor General of one of the prime *banks* *here* in South Africa,
during the course of *our* *auditing*,I discovered a floating fund *in* *an*
*account* *opened* in the bank in 1996 and since 1998 nobody *has* *operated
* on this account again,

after going *through* *some* old files in the records I discovered that *the
* *owner* *of* the account died without a [Heir/WILL] hence
the money is floating and if I do not remit this *mone* *out* urgently it
will be forfeited for nothing. *The* *owner* of this account is PEDRO F.
HASLER a foreigner,* *a great industrialist and he died since 1998.No *other
* *person* knows about this account or any thing
concerning it,

the account has no other *beneficiary* *and* my investigation proved to me
as well that *until* *his* death he was the manager GOLD ARK [pty]. SA.* *We
will start the first transfer with Three million[$3,000.000] upon successful
transaction without *any* *disappoint* from your side, we shall re-apply for
*the* *payment* of the remaining rest amount to your account.* *The total
amount involve is Nine million *United* *States* Dollars only
[$9,000.000.00]. I want to *first* *transfer* $3,000.000.00 [Three million
United *States* *Dollar*] from this money into a safe foreigners *account* *
abroad* before the rest. But I don't know any
foreigner,

I am only contacting you as a *foreigner* *because* this money can not be
approved to a *local* *person* here, without valid international *foreign* *
passport*, but can only be approved to any *foreigner* *with* valid
international passport or drivers
*license* and foreign a/c because the money is in *US* *dollars* and the
former owner of the a/c is a
foreigner too, and the money can only be approved *into* *a* foreign a/c.

However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind *us* *together* when we
meet face to face after the *first* *transfer* of $3 Million before
transferring the *second* *part* of $6 Million. I am revealing this to you *
with* *believe* in God that you will never let me down in this
business, you are the first and the only person that *I* *am* contacting for
this business, so please *reply* *urgently* so that I will inform you the
next step *to* *take* urgently. Send also the full details of the *account*
*to* be used for the deposit.I want us to meet face to face to build
confidence *and* *to* sign a binding agreement that will bind us *together*
*immediately* after the first transfer before we fly *to* *your* country for
withdrawal, sharing and investments.I need your full co-operation to make
this work *fine* *because* the management is ready to approve *this* *
payment* to any foreigner who has correct *information* *of* this account,
which I will give to you upon *your* *positive* response and once I am
convinced that you *are* *capable* and will meet up with instruction of a *
key* *bank* official who is deeply involved with me in *this* *business*. I
need your strong assurance that you *will* *never*,* *

never let me down.* *With my influence and my position in the bank the *bank
* *official* can transfer this money to any foreigner's
reliable account that you can provide with *assurance* *that* this money
will be intact pending our *physical* *arrival* in your country for sharing.
The bank *official* *Will* destroy all documents of transaction *immediately
* *we* receive this money leaving no trace to any *place* *and* to build
confidence you can call me for heart *to* *heart* discussion through my
private e-mail *address* *which* I secured for the security and safety of *
this* *business* as you know that this business *is* *confidential*.I will
use my position and influence *to* *obtain* all legal approvals for onward
transfer of *this* *money* to your account with appropriate clearance *from*
*the* relevant ministries and foreign *exchange departments*.* *At the
conclusion of this business, you will be *given* *35*% of the total amount,
* *60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have
*incurred* *during* the process of transferring.
I look forward to your earliest reply through my email
address.

Thanks and God bless
Yours truly,
Mr* Mike Maurice*

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