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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: "chriss owen" <mrowen20@mobimail.mn>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:45:06 +0200
Subject: RE LEGAL FUND TRANSFER.


From Mr.Chriss Owen.
JOHANNESBURG,
SOUTH AFRICA.

Please contact me with this email address for security reasons
chriss.owen3@gmail.com

ATTN: Please,

In my quest for a reliable and trusted partner for a highly important and
lucrative venture cum investment, I came across your contact as a reliable
partner for this venture. I am Mr.Chriss Owen.In charge of Credit and
Foreign bills of my Bank, AMALGAMATED BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (ABSA).

I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank whose name is Mr.
Andreas Schranner a citizen of Germany who perished in a plane crash
[Concorde Air Flight AF4590] with the whole passengers aboard on 31
July2000. And for your perusal you can view this web site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Since the demise of this our customer, I personally has watched with keen
interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has
come to claim his funds of US$25.5M (Twenty Five Million Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars) which has been with my branch for a very
long time. On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used
as the Next of Kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin. And the
banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than eight years,
because the money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed after
this period.

In view of this, I got your contact through a trade journal. And I have
agreed to give you 30% of the total if you can handle this transaction in
ultimate sincerity and secrecy. Upon the receipt of your response, I will
send you by fax or e-mail the application, bank's fax number and the next
step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is
risk free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for
fund transfer can be finalized within five working days, after you apply to
the bank as a relation to the deceased.

Kindly send me an e-mail signifying your decision including your private
Tel/Fax numbers for quicker communication on received of this letter.

Please contact me with this email address for security reasons
chriss.owen3@gmail.com

Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Chriss Owen.

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