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: "UNITED NATION REGINAL OFFICE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dr.johnsonwillis112@googlemail.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 00:40:26 -0800
Subject: UNITED NATION REGINAL OFFICE URGENT

>From The Desk Of
Dr.Johnson Willis.
Security warehouse of UN.
United Nations Regional office
Broadgate Court, EC2 London-UK
 
Dear Sir/Madam,
 
I do write this mail in the belief and hope that I would not bring you into any discomfort
 
but as my duties entails, I will find it hard not to pass this message since I have been
 
brought into contact with the information I needed to do so naturally by the implication of
 
my job.
 
Formally, I am attached to a Freight Department of a Cargo Inspection Agency in as an
 
Inspector in London and recently I was deployed to a new section to take inventory of long
 
abandoned cargoes and to submit a report on this trend and advice on the ways of
 
ameliorating the situation.
 
I have gone midway with this commission and within a couple of weeks I should be submitting
 
my report of findings and handing over the list of Baggage, Consignments and Official
 
Documents that I discovered in the Abandoned Cargo Room.
 
The central point of writing this email is that I have been under a very great pressure over
 
a particular Consignment among my inventory due to the half- torn accompanying information
 
on the placed tags on this Baggage. Most of the information on this delivery is worn-out
 
actually. But what I have here for now in fact, while not trying to embarrass you please, is
 
that the said Consignment has a covering sheet attached to it with this email address I have
 
used in sending you this mail typed on it and mark “TO THE RECEIPT OF BENEF…” CONTEN DECLAR
 
Sensit…Synthetic Materia…dipl kg .The next line has wiped off but I can decipher something
 
like” from the CENT BAN… I have checked all the incoming cargo registers and only could
 
conclude that it looks as if this particular Consignment came from one of the west African
 
Countries possibly Nigeria and was abandoned either due to a Diplomatic disagreement or
 
actions of the Customs Office.
 
Do kindly write back and let me know if you have anything as such being held-up over time or
 
is expecting a delayed consignment. If you do, I shall intimate you on what to do to claim
 
and receive your consignment ASAP.You must also know that this arrangement do not concern
 
all the people you were dealing with
 
I sincerely tender an apology if this matter is not yours as I just felt like doing the
 
right thing in my line of duty!
 
Sincerely,
 
Dr.Johnson Willis.
Security warehouse of United Nations
Contact By Email And Phone Immediately.
Call Me Mobile:+447-045-71-5646

Anti-fraud resources: