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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: drdav ma <dr.davma0@sify.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 08:34:53 GMT
Subject: DEAR FRIEND,I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE.

 
Greetings From Dr David Maiga
 
Dear Friend,
I am Dr David Maiga the manager auditing and accounting department African Development Bank.(ADB) Ouagadougou Burkina-faso in West Africa.For your kind attention,I will be very glad if you do assist me to relocate this sum of ($26.5M US dollars) to your account for the benefit of our both families.I discovered unclaimed sum of $26.5m US dollars in our bank which belonged to one of our late foreign customer who died with his entire family in Kenya plane crash on July 2003.
 
This is a genuine business,only that I cannot operate it alone without using a Foreigner who will stand as a beneficiary to the fund.The request of a foreigner as next of kin and beneficiary of the fund is because the customer was not a Burkinabe and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner,that is why I decided to contact you in a good manner to assist me and also to share the benefit together with me.
 
The banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after seven years,the money will be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund.You will be entitled to  40 % of this money as foreign partner,since you provide an account for the claim,5 % will be set aside for expenses incured during the business and 55 % will be for me.There after I will visit your country for disbursement and sharing of the fund accoding to the percentages indicated if agreed.
 
By indicating your interest all other necessary vital information will be send to you on how the business will be executed.Please keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it,if you are not interested.
 
Now my questions are:
1) Can you handle this project?
2) Can I give you this trust?
 
Please let us get this fund transfer into your account.I look forward to receive your reply as soon as you receive this email.
 
All the best to you from,
Dr David Maiga.

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