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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: "BARRISTER CYNTHIA ROBBEN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.cyntha_robben@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:25:47 -0700
Subject: Please respond back

Hello Friend,

I'm Barrister Cynthia Robben, a lawyer and attorney here in London United Kingdom. I have a business proposal worth US$20,000,000 (Twenty Million United States Dollars) to offer you that will surely be to your benefit if only you will help out. I know this may look surprising to you 'cos we have never met but I found your contact particulars from an address journal and have summed up the courage to contact you. My client Mrs. Margaret Nkrumah has inherited these funds from her late husband. I will disclose every detail concerning this funds and her to you as soon as I hear from you.

At this moment, the funds have been moved into your region by a UN DIPLOMAT who was
to deliver the two consignment boxes containing the said funds to my client's foreign
partner in your country. But unfortunately my client's foreign partner is either dead or nowhere to be found as the current address is untraceable and the diplomat unaware of the content of the boxes intends to leave the boxes in your country.

Though we had told him (Diplomat) earlier that the boxes contained company materials and documents, but as soon as you respond indicating your interest, I will proceed to get the necessary papers for the clearance of the Consignment and after that I will link you with the Diplomat right there in your Country.

My client is willing to offer you 15% of the said amount for your willingness to help out should the funds are successfully cleared. A subsequent 5% will be given to you also if you are able to come up with a good business Idea / Initiative that the funds can be invested in under your preferred management.

Please get back with your-
Full Names:
Full Contact Address:
Direct Telephone Numbers:

My response will be very swift when I get your reply.

Yours in Service,
Barr. Cynthia Robben

Anti-fraud resources: