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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: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 09:32:54 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Dear, Please Help Me


Dear,
=A0
I know that this proposal might be a surprise to you but do consider it as =
an emergency. In a nut shell, My name is Miss Pamela Beka. I am 23 years ol=
d from the republic of Ivory-Coast. now seeking for refugee in Dakar(Senega=
l) under the(UNHCR).The only child of late Dr.Solomon Beka.

=A0
=A0 I am looking for someone who can take me as a friend or
anything. I promise to be obedient to you and I will bring happiness to
your life. I want you to assist me in this transaction. My late father
was a former deputy during the regime of late President Robert Guei.But
he was killed along side with my mother during the long civil war and
all our properties were totally looted and destroyed.
=A0
=A0 However, after their death I managed to escape with very important file=
s of my late father which contains a very huge amount of money
...He has the sum of (US$2.7M) Two million Seven Hundred Thousand U.S
Dollars which was deposited by my late father in one of the online
Bank. The deposit documents indicate me as the next of kin.=20
=A0
=A0Presently, I am saddled with the problem of securing a
trust worthy foreign personality to help me and claim the money since
the bank denied me the right to claim the money as per my status as a
refugee here in Senegal.=A0I
will map out 10% for you by helping me to secure the money, and thus
you will help me to come over there in your country to live with you
after claiming the money, since my aim is to further my education in
abroad.
=A0=A0 Now what i really want you to do for me is,
(1) Stand on my behalf as the beneficiary for the claim of the
inheritance
from the bank since the management of the bank advised that I should
solicit for an individual or corporate organization to claim the
deposit for me as they cannot release it directly to me due to my
refugee status in Senegal.
=A0
(2)Transfer the money over to your own country and into your possession pen=
ding my arrival to meet with you.
=A0
(3)Invest and manage the money for me in a good business pending my maturit=
y.
(4) Help me secure my traveling documents to meet you as soon as my money i=
s released to you.
=A0
=A0Furthermore, you can contact the Bank for confirmation
and I will issue a letter of authorization on your name, that will
enable the bank corresponds with you on my behalf. I am giving you this
offers as mentioned with every confidence on your acceptance to assist
me to recover the money from the bank and if possible manage the money
for me in any business that you find profitable.
=A0Conclusively, I wish you send me a reply immediately you receive this pr=
oposal via my email address, pam.beka@yahoo.com.
Until then, I remain with the best of my knowledge
Stay Blessed.
=A0Pamela.=0A=0A=0A

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