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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: "Mrs Mary Anjum" (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:36:01 -0000
Subject: Please help out.

Dear 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 got you email id from your countrys guestbook which i have
been with my late huband and liked to visit once more if God will in
his infinite mercies.
 
I am Mrs. Mary Anjum from South Africa,I am 58 years old,i am
suffering from a long time cancer of the breast which also 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 beleivers.Since his death I
decided not to re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings and
deposited all the sum of 20million dollars with a Union Bank of Nigeria.
 
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 London 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
churches, orphanages and widows,I took this decision, before i rest in peace
because my time will so on be up.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the
Union Bank.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.
 
Waiting for your reply
 
Yours in Christ,

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