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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: "Edwin Johnson" <edwinjohnson001@gmail.com>
Reply-To: edwin_01johnson@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:33:16 +0200
Subject: From Dr. Edwin Johnson


From Dr. Edwin Johnson

Cote d'Ivoire,Abidjan

Hello,

I am Dr. Edwin Johnson, the director of Atlantic Bank Plc in COTE D'IVOIRE.
I got your contact in my earnest search for a trustworthy partner,who will
assist me with this confidential Business offer. One of our customers made a
numbered time {fixed} deposit for twelve calendar months up to US$21.7
Million US Dollars in my bank.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but
got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally I discovered
from his contract employers National Gold Mining Corporation of Ghana, that
he died in a motor accident on one of his business trips in Abidjan Cote
D'Ivoire. On further investigation, I found out that he did not leave a will
and all attempts to trace his relative proved Abortive. And he did not
declare any next of kin in all his official documents, including his Bank
Deposit paper work.

This fund has been lying waste in our contract accounts department.Since
nobody will ever come for the claims of this fund, and bearing in mind that
soon the money will be reverted to the government treasury if nobody applies
to claim the fund, it will be forfeited into the National treasury
account.Based on the above I solicit for your cooperation as a foreigner.

I want this money to be paid into your account for us to share 50-50. All I
need from you is honest and you will promise me that you will not run away
with this money.
NOTE:that this transaction is 100% safe and guaranteed. There is no risk at
all as all the paper works for this transaction shall be done by the
Attorney and my position as the bank Director guarantees the successful
execution of this transaction.

I require you treat this letter with ultmost confidentiality and urgency..
Also include your personal data viz; names, resident/office adresses,
marital status and also phone/fax numbers, for easy communication.

My Best Personal Regards.
Dr.Edwin Johnson.

Email: edwin_01johnson@yahoo.fr

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