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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: aly ibrahim <alyibrahim20@sify.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 12:18:42 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Dear Friend,


 
Dear Friend,
 
We want to transfer to your Bank Account overseas, the sum of $15,000.000.00 USD (Fifteen Million United States Dollars Only) from a bank here in Burkina Faso, I want to ask you to provide either an existing bank account or to set up an entirely new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end of this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future. I am Mr.Aly Ibrahim . I Director of International Remittance Department with a Bank here in Burkina Faso .
 
During the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1993 and since 2000 nobody has operated on this account again, 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 Mr.Chris Marco, a foreigner, and a sailor and he died since 2000, and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Chris Marco was the CEO of Chris Coy. (B/F). Ltd.
 
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr. Chris Marco is a foreigner too, and the money can only be approved into a foreign account.You will be introduced to the Bank as the next of Kin to this late Mr. Chris Marco please be inform that I got your contact address from my secretary who operates computer and I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so, that I will inform you the next step to take.
 
I need your full co-operation to make this production fine because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business.I need your strong assurance that you will never let me down. With the influence and the position of the key bank official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing.
 
The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence, you can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account.
 
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible if you are interested.
Sincerely,
Mr. Aly



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