joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Daniel Vess" <ussgt@ymail.com>
Reply-To: ussgts2@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2010 10:36:09 -0400
Subject: PLS GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

PLS GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?. HOPE ALL IS WELL.I BELIEF THIS EMAIL
MANY BE EMBARRASSING TO YOU OR SURPRISE.MY NAME IS ( SGT 1ST CLASS
)DANIEL VESS, I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER,SERVING IN THE MILITARY WITH
THE ARMY'S 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. WITH A VERY DESPERATE NEED FOR
ASSISTANCE,I HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU. I FOUND YOUR
CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL. I AM SEEKING YOUR KIND
ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF( $14MILLION U.S. DOLLARS )FOURTEEN
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS TO YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY, AS FAR AS I UR
COUNTRY CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE UNTIL I
COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE, THIS IS NO STOLEN MONEY,AND THERE ARE NO
DANGER INVOLVED.SOURCE OF MONEY:SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WAS
DISCOVERED IN BARRELS AT A FARM HOUSE NEAR ONE OF SADDAM'S OLD PALACES
IN TIKRIT-IRAQ DURING A RESCUE OPERATION, AND IT WAS AGREED BY STAFF
SGT KENNETH BUFF AND SOME PART OF THIS MONEY BE SHARED AMONG BOTH OF
US BEFORE INFORMING ANYBODY ABOUT IT SINCE BOTH OF US SAW THE MONEY
FIRST. THIS WAS QUITE AN ILLEGAL THING TO DO,BUT I TELL YOU WHAT ? NO
COMPENSATION CAN MAKE UP FOR THE RISK WE HAVE TAKEN WITH OUR LIVES IN
THIS HELL HOLE. OF WHICH MY BROTHER IN-LAW WAS KILLED BY A ROAD SIDE
BOMB TWO WEEKS AGO.IF YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE ME.I CAN SEND
SCAN COPY OF MY MILITARY IDENTITY CARD TO YOU. AND I MUST TELL YOU
THAT,THIS SHOULD REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL.I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO
ASSIST ME.I WANT YOU TO TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS MONEY
FOR THE ASSISTANCE YOU WILL GIVE TO ME. ONE PASSIONATE APPEAL I WILL
MAKE TO YOU IS NOT TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH ANYBODY, SHOULD YOU
HAVE REASONS TO REJECT THIS OFFER,PLEASE PLEASE AND PLEASE DESTROY
THIS MESSAGE AS ANY LEAKAGE OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TOO BAD FOR US
SOLDIER'S HERE IN IRAQ. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE,
AND I HAVE BEEN SHOT,WOUNDED AND SURVIVED TWO SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS BY
THE SPECIAL GRACE OF GOD, THIS AND OTHER REASONS I WILL MENTION LATER
HAS PROMPTED ME TO REACH OUT FOR HELP, I HONESTLY WANT THIS MATTER TO
BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE MY ONLY
WAY OF COMMUNICATION IS THROUGH MY OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS
(ussgts2@gmail.com)...GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

SGT.DANIEL VESS...

Anti-fraud resources: