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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: "phgeorge@cantv.net" <phgeorge@cantv.net>
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:27:15 -0430
Subject: You've Got 1 New Message,

I am sending my Greetings with a Business Proposition.

This is actually not a conventional way to approach you in a business that
involve transfer of US$17,597,000.00 only but I ought to consider the media
suitable and convenient for primary introduction since we have not meet
before and haven seen the urgence the transfer demand. I am contacting you
in respect of Mr. Evan Hembesause who made a numbered time (Fixed)
deposited for twelve calendar months in the bank where I am working as the
Central Accounting officer. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to
his address but got no reply. After a month later, we sent a reminder and
finally discovered from his Oil Contracting Agent that Mr. Evan Hembesause
died in a Road bomb blast. This sum of (US$17,597,000.00) is still in the
Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the
end of each year. According to the bank's terms and condition(s), at the
expiration of 6 {Six} years, if a customer failed to access his/her bank
account, the account will be obstructed and release to the Government
treasury as an unclaimed deposit.
Prior to this circumstances, I want to propose a deal to present you as the
family representative of the decease to process the release of the deposit
to you on condition that we share the inheritance.
If this request meet your inward intention, reply urgently for more useful
information.

Please accord the transaction with utmost secrecy you can afford.

My regards,
Philip George


Anti-fraud resources: