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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: " Brenda Coleman" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <brendaclman@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 22:01:21 -0000
Subject: MY GOOD FRIEND

My Good Friend,
 
Greetings in the name of God, Pls let this not sound strange to you for my only
surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this year.I prayed and I got
your email id from your country's guestbook. I am Mrs. Brenda Coleman from London.
 
I am 58 years old,I am suffering from a long time cancer of the lungs which also is
affected my brain,from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and
it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that i
may not live for the next two months,this is because the cancer stage has gotten
to a very bad stage.
 
I was brought up from a motherless babies home was married to my late husband
for twenty years without a child,my husband died in a fatal motor accident
Before his death we were true believers.Since his death I decided not to
re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of Ten
million dollars with a Standard Finance Security Company. Presently, this money
is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come
forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or rather issue a letter of
authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over
because of my illness or they get it confisticated.
 
Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital here in Switzerland where I have
been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. my doctors have told me that
I have only a few months to live.It is my last wish to see that this money is
invested to any organisation of your choice and distributed each year among the
charity organization,the poor and the motherless babies home.
 
I want you as God fearing person, to also use this money to fund hurches,mosque, orphanages and widows,
I took this decision, before i rest in peace because my
time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the
contact of the Standard Finance Security Company.I will also issue you a letter
of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my fund. Please
assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
 
Hoping to hear from you soon.Contact me on my private email address : brendacoleman-47@live.co.uk
NAME:_________ SURNAME:_________________ SEX:_____ AGE:______
 
MARITAL:_______________
 
COUNTRY: _______CITY: _________ STATE _____ ZIP CODE:_______ CONTACT
 
ADDRESS:__________________
 
PHONE NO.#:__________ FAX NO#_________________
 
OCCUPATION:______________
POSITION:_____________
 
Waiting for your reply
 
Mrs. Brenda Coleman
 
 

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