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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: "cecilia ekon" <cecekon1@gala.net>
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:02:09 +0200
Subject: FROM CECILIA.


Dear friend,
I believe you are a highly respected personality, and that is why i am
bringing this business link to you.
I am M/s Cecilia Ekon the credit and accounts Manager with Oceanic Bank of
Nigeria PLC.
Meanwhile, I hope that my gender as a lady will not hinder us in having a
mutual business understanding.
I write you in respect of a foreign customer with a/c number
14-215-2001/ict/Ng. with our bank.
On June 6, 2001, he turned his money into a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit
for thirty calendar months to value US$10,500,000.00, (Ten Million, five
hundred thousand Dollars)
Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but
got no reply.
After a month, I sent a reminder but I discovered from his contract
employers,that he was among those who died in [Korean Air Flight 801 in
2002],where the whole passengers on board died.
Dear,since the information of demise of this our customer, I have kept a
close monitoring of his deposit records and accounts and nobody has put up
claims for the money in this a/c as next of kin or relative/business partner
to the Deceased,
I made further investigation from the files in the bank and discovered that
he did not Declare any next of kin or relations in all his official
documents here.
Already I have removed his deposit file from the security safe and by this
doing, what is required from you is to send an application seeking claims of
the deposit as next of kin/business partner.
I therefore seek for your co operation,so that you stand as the
next of kin/business partner to the deceased in order to get this
fund paid to you.
I request for your honesty to deal with me, and if you can assure yourself
of being honest and reliable, let me have, your full name and Address,
including your phone/fax number so that I can computerize them in next of
kin column in the original form of deposit with the bank.

I wait to hear from you. God bless!
Yours respectfully,
M/s Cecilia Ekon

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