joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:38:03 -0600
Subject: Your Email Won The Prize

MICROWORD CORPORATIONS:
CUSTOMER SERVICE, VALENCIA.
REFERENCE NUMBER: MCV-RX/E-3929
BATCH NUMBER: 2008/330/MCV

OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION.
We are pleased to inform you of the released results of Sweepstakes
Promotion organized by Microword Corporations, in conjunction with the
foundation for the promotion of software products, held this Noverber 1st,
2008, here in Valencia- Spain. Where in your email address emerged as one
of the online Winning emails, in the 3rd category and therefore attracted
a cash award of 450,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euros) and a
Toshiba laptop.
Your laptop, certificate of winnings and your cheque of 450,000. 00
Euro, will be sent to you contact address. Please take note, lucky
winners will pay for their courier services delivery. Microword
corporations only provides lucky winners with a laptop and the sum of
450,000.00 Euro only.
For more information about microword.com and To begin your claim, do file
for the release of your winning by contacting
Our Foreign Transfer Manager via mail or by telephone.
Mr. Maurice Pascal
Tel: 0034-622450925
Email:microword060@gmail.com

This Email Lottery is Sponsored by Microword Coporation and all the
members of MSFT Word Resource Consortium Software Promotion Companies.
This internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to
encourage the use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide.
Congratulations!!
Sincerely,
Mr. Federico Inocencio
Promotions Manager.

Anti-fraud resources: