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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: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:30:25 +0100
Subject: Contact Fedex Company for your consignment box


Attn, =A0 How are you together with your family this morning? I have been=
waiting for you since to come down here and pick your Bank Draft of $1.5=
Million United State Dollars which my boss left with me before he travel=
led to Paraguay for investment projects, but I did not hear from you sinc=
e for a couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the dr=
aft has expired or getting near to expire and Dr. Wilson, the Director Ba=
nk of Africa told me that before the cheque will get to your hand that it=
will expire. Then I told him to help me and cash the cashier bank draft =
of $1.5 Million United State Dollar to cash payment to avoid losing this =
funds under expiration as I will be out of the country for a 3 Months Cou=
rse and I will not come back till February 20th 2009. =A0 What you have t=
o do now is to contact Fedex Express Courier Company as soon as possible =
to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you because of the exp=
iring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge a=
nd Insurance premium.The only money you will send to the Fedex Company to=
deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country i=
s ($155.00 US) only being Security Keeping Fee of the Company so far. Aga=
in, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $155.00 US=
Dollars. I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know=
when you will contact them and in case of demurrage. =A0 You have tocont=
act Fedex Company now for the delivery of your Consignment box with this =
information bellow; =A0 Company Name:Fedex Express Courier Company Contac=
t parson: Dr.Godwin Mambo (Director)FECC Phone Number: 00229 98 800 986 E=
mail: (fedexexpres_benin03@yahoo.fr ) =A0 Finally, make sure that you rec=
onfirm your Postal address and Direct telephone number to them again to a=
void any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking nu=
mber to enable you track your package over there and know when it will ge=
t to your address. Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as yo=
u receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them t=
heir Security Keeping fee of $155.00 US Dollars for their immediate actio=
n. =A0 Note this. The Fedex Company don't know the contents of the box. I=
registered it as a box of cloths. They did not know the contents was mon=
ey. this is to avoid them delaying with the box. Don't let them know that=
box contents money ok. =A0 Thanks and Remain Blessed. Yours sincerely, M=
r.Frank Akunne, (Secretary). =A0



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