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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: "Fred" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:59:59 -0700
Subject: HELLO THIS IS FREDRICK TAYLOR

Hello Dear,

Sorry for any inconvenience this letter might cause you considering the fact that you do not know me in person but I have the trust that you have the capacity to assist in this transaction since it will benefit both of us.

My name is Fredrick Taylor; the son of Ex-President Charles Ghankay Taylor of Liberia who is now in standing trial in the International Court of Justice, Hague The - Netherlands for war crime committed during his rule in our country Liberia . My brother Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr. is also in detention for being part of my father's government. I am presently in distress; the government has frozen all the family bank account and auctioned all our properties owing to my father's problem and trials for war crime as such I wish to request for your immediate assistance in relocating my inheritance and it's investment thereafter.

My father kept a total sum of One Hundred and Twenty Six milliom United State Dollars (USD$126, 000 000) for the family in a security finance company in Accra, Ghana, all sealed in Three trunk boxes and deposited in a security company. He gave me all the relevant deposit documents before he was arrested and taken to Hague, the Netherlands for trial. He declared the contents of the boxes to be family valuables. I will require your assistance in moving out / receiving the funds in your country for investment purposes. Be rest assured that this transaction is risk free as no person is aware of the money except one official of the finance company who assisted my father in DEPOSITING the funds in the finance company.

I will gladly give you 25% of the total sum for your assistance. Please it is important you contact me immediately through e-mail with your complete information as follows: Your full name, your address, your Telephone and Fax numbers to enable me furnish you with all the details.

Upon your response, a meeting with you or your representative will be arranged if you want because seeing is believing. However if you or your representatve can not travel to Ghana for the meeting, then we can embrace other options for easy movement of the funds to you.

I want you to keep this transaction to yourself due to the present predicaments our family. Off-course you must have heard from BBC or CNN about the trial of my father in Hague. You can visit this URL: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/31/sierra16028.htm

Awaiting your immediate response.


Best Regards

Fredrick Taylor

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