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: "FROM REBECCA DOUGLAS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <solomondouglas1981@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:00:12 +0200
Subject: GREETING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

From: Mrs. Rebecca Douglas
Email: mrs.rebecca59@gmail.com
Johannesburg , South Africa
 
Dear friend,
WE ARE REQUESTING FOR YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE
Please do not be embarrassed to receive this mail especially since we
don’t know each other or meet in person before. I was opportune to have your
esteemed particulars from South Africa Information Exchange(S.A.I..E.), in
my search for a reliable person to handle a very confidential transaction,which
involve a transfer of fund to a foreign account.
My concern has centered on how I could transfer my late husband’smoney
amounting to US$25.5 Million (Twenty-Five
Million
Five Hundred
Thousand
United States Dollars) out of South Africa for a better investment abroad.
I am Mrs. Rebecca Douglas, the wife of late Mr. DOUGLAS,My husband was
the former Zimbabwean Minister for youth,gender and Employment creation. While
alive, my husband stood against seizure of white farms and the distribution of
it to the blacks without compensationto the white owners.
Because of my husband's sincerity, he was killed by a planned motor
accident along Harare-Masvingo Road near Mvuma Province of Zimbabwe.
Before his untimely death, my husband told me some few weeks earlier that he
kept one diplomatic box with a private finance and Security Company in
Johannesburg , South Africa which contains US$25.5 Million (Twenty-Five Million
Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars). He warned that he
only declared the contents of the
diplomatic box to the Security Company as a
family treasure/ values, with insurance values of the said amount. He also told
me that he used the name of our son Prince Solomon Douglas as the beneficiary of
this money being his only child. The original document that
shows the Deed of lodge, Proof of Deposit, and Depository Agreement between my
late husband and the Management of the Security Company was kept with the
reputable South African Lawyer.
Because of South African Financial Law, which bared asylumseeker/ refugee like
us to operate an account that exceed US$1000 and fear of the amount involved, I
decided to write to you to seek your help for this money to be transferred into
your company’s or personal bank account for our future
investment in your country. I am presently sick with HIGH BLOOD PRESURE,
and was admitted in the
hospital for treatment. So, I will please ask you
call my son as soon as you receive this letter for more details concerning
this transfer transaction.
Please give us your direct phone and fax numbers, which will allow an easy
communication before or after transferring the money into your bank
account. I want to assure you also that this transaction is 100% risk
free. As for your reward for this kind assistance, we are ready to offer
you 20% of the total sum while 10% will be set aside for expenses incurred
in the course of the transaction. Please find below how I want you to help
me and my son.
1). YOU ARE REQUIRED TO COME DOWN TO SOUTH AFRICA TO HELP US CLEAR THE OUT-
STANDING DEMURRAGE FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY.
2). UPON YOUR ARRIVAL HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA , YOU WILL OPEN A NON-RESIDENT
DOLLAR ACCOUNT IN YOUR NAME WHERE THE
TOTAL MONEY WILL BE DEPOSITED FIRST FOR
ONWARD TRANSFER TO YOUR OVERSEAS ACCOUNT.
3). WE ALSO NEED YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT COPY, THAT WILL ENABLE US
MAKE THE CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE IN YOUR NAME AS THE BENEFICIARY
OF THIS
FUND,WHICH WILL SEND TO YOU AND TO ENABLE THE SECURITY COMPANY RELEASE THE
BOX
TO US AS SOON AS YOU ARE HERE FOR COMPLETION.
4). YOUR FULL NAMES AND RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
5). PLEASE WHAT IS YOUR AGE AND OCCUPATION? THIS IS TO KNOW IF YOU ARE
CAPABLE
TO HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION FOR US, AS WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOOSE THIS MONEY.
6). ALL YOUR EXPENSES WILL BE GIVING BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS WE CLEAR THE BOX
UPON YOUR ARRIVAL.
If you are willing to help me and my son, please try as soon as possible
to get back to me through the above private telephone and e-mail. Please,
I do
hope that this money will be safe when finally transferred into your
bank account. I
do hope of establishing a good relationship with you and your family after
this transaction.
God bless you and your family while waiting to hear from you urgently.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Rebecca Douglas & Son?( for the family)
Please Note: below is my son email contact.
Email:solomondouglas1981@gmail.com
 
 

Anti-fraud resources: