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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: MISS Alicia Bah <myfamiy@faithserve.com>
Reply-To: ms.a_bah@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:42:02 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Happy New Year and good day

Happy New Year and good day
I am Ms Alicia Bah, from Republic of Ivory Coast; the name of my father is Mr Kessin Bah.
And my motherless at very little age. And for that reason was brought up by my father and my
Grand mother. My Father was killed during the 19th September 2002 political Crises in Ivory Coast; because we are of same tribe with General Robert Guei (the late former military president of Ivory Coast that was also killed with her wife during that same crises). Since that ugly incident I have been in the care of my grand mother who managed to take me with her to a typical village to save my life and of hers after the killing of my father.

Because I have come of a little age and my grand mother revealed to me some secrets about my father and showed me some of the important documents of my father which she was able to lay hand on immediately she heard the death of my father. And among them is banking paper containing important information. My father tried to leave the country during the crises thru a close border town, but he was caught and killed without mercy because he is from ex-president Robert Guei's region and he was popularly known as a successful business man of that region. So they believed he was one of the financers of that military operation that resulted to political war. As the president (Laurent Gbagbo) so much believed that General Robert Guei was the original initiator of that event.

It was when my grand mother told me some things about my father and showed me some documents, that I had to pick the bank paper from her to watch, and discovered that there is a huge sum of £3.2million British pounds in the bank somewhere called Abidjan deposited by my father.
My father died at the age of 41 and was a successful private business man before his untimely death. I contacted the bank and they asked me to come in person, I did and now have gathered all reason to contact you for help concerning the suspense/fixed deposit account. In the capacity of the next of kin, and the only child of my father, I am contacting you with due respect and responsibility concerning this matter. Upon all these; the general family of my father is now aware that I have come of age to know about my late father's properties, for those reasons they are now putting too much threat on me, and have confiscated all the houses in other saved areas; not excluding some other landed properties and bank accounts they knew about.

This is because during the days of my father, my father entrusted so many of his wealth under the care of his elder brothers and sisters. This is what my grand mother told me. Therefore, my grand mother have severely warned and advised me to seek an aid that can lead to moving that fund out from here to another far country where I will complete my education and begin a new life. If not, my uncles may eliminate me and take away that account from me just as they have done to all other accounts and properties. As you may know it too well that here in Africa elections always end up with looting, killings, and so many other devilish manifestations against the masses supporting the other party or another. Not excluding threats and difficulties I am going thru from my father's relatives.

Presidential election was supposed to be on the 29/11/2009 but postponed because of uncertainty situations arising and every one is already panicking because Africa’s election never goes well. And I really want to leave here before then and also do everything possible for the account to be released and moved out from here.

By this mail, do let me have your full details so that we can start from here. Luckily, the family of my father does not know anything about this deposit, and the government in place now has no right over this account because my father worked for it and not public stolen money. If not, they would have confiscated it so long. There is need for urgent action because my grand mother really need medical attention and good accommodation after she have suffered so much for me to make sure I am safe and alive. But the present situation does not allow me and her even to eat a good square meal a day because we lack finance and help from any one; While my father left behind him a great sum. Presently she is sick and required medical treatment.

Please help me release and transfer this sum to your country as quickly as possible so that I can further my education there and have a better tomorrow to take good care of my grand mother as she is the only one I have for now. I will be glad to read from you soon.
Alicia Bah


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