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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: Wasu Halidu <wasuhalidu2010@rocketmail.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:01:58 -0500
Subject: A recommendation from a friend


FROM: MR. WASU HALIDU

Attn Please

Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics
although, I wish to use this medium to get in touch with you but do take
your good time to go through it. I am MR WASU HALIDU, the Senior
Foreign Remittance Director of a Bank, during the course of our auditing,


I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1998 and since
2003 nobody has operated on this account again up till today. After going through
some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the
money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.


The owner of this account is a foreigner, a miner and an
industrialist. He made millions of dollars before he died victoriously.
Since DEC 26 2003 website
details as follow: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3351083.stm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200312/s1016642.htm
no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it.
My investigation proved to me that the account has no other beneficiary
and that until his death he was the manager director of aluminium &
steel industries (PTY). SA. We will start the transfer with the total sum
involved [ Twenty Five Million US Dollars [ 25.000.000.00 USD] only,
into your account, as a safe foreigners bank account abroad, but I don't
know any foreigner abroad that's why I have contacted you to bear the legal
sole beneficiary of the fund.


I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me
down in this business. Also send your private telephone number and fax
number including the full details of the account to be used for the
deposit. I need your strong assurance that you will never let me down
in this business proposition. With my influence and the position in the
bank, as an official whom is working in our favor we can transfer this
money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with
assurance that this money will be intact pending my physical arrival in
your country for sharing.


The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately you
receive this fund leaving and they will be no trace to any place and to
build confidence you can write immediately to discuss with me the
modalities, after I will make this remittance in your presented account and
fix my resign date, to fly down to your country at least 7 days ahead of
the fund transferred and confirm into the account.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 40% of the total
amount, 60% will be for me, if you agree in my business proposal,

Eargely waiting for your respond.

Best Regards,

MR WASU HALIDU.


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