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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: John Ifidon <johnifidon17@ssummail.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:41:22 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: S.0.S APPEAL

From: John Ifidon
Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
(Ivory Coast)

Dear Uncle / Aunty,

I am John Ifidon, 21 years of age from Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

My father was a well-known Building & Civil Engineering Contractors with Ivorian Government but was assassinated to death on 17th January, 2010 by his close political associates in collaboration with our family members out of jealousy. And since then life has been meaningless to me, living without parents.

Before the death of my father, he carefully revealed to me on his sick bed about Bank Lodgment Receipt of sum of US$15,500,000 (Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars) he deposited with a local bank here which he wanted to use for his political ambition to contest the forth coming elections. He said that he used my name as the Next of Kin. He further explained that this money belonged to him alone and advised me to look for a foreign partner in a country of my choice who will be kind enough to help me transfer the money into the person's account on my behalf for investment in case he did not survive the sickness. Unfortunately he died few days later.

I have contacted the bank with a copy of the Bank Lodgment Receipt for the claim as the beneficiary. The bank went through their file and discovered that my claim was genuine, they told me to go and come back any time I am ready, but my problem is that this money is too big for me to handle, more especially now that the government of Ivory Coast is passing through serious political crisis. It is therefore based on this that I am sending this mail to seek for your help for the transfer of the money into your account on the following conditions:-.

1. Act as the guardian of this fund once the bank transfers the money into your account.

2. Go into partnership business with you either in Real Estate Management, Hotel Management or in any other profitable business you know that is good in your country under your control and supervision.

3. Assist me to travel down to your country for the commencement of the joint venture immediately after the transfer.

Further more, I have agreed to reward you handsomely with 25% from the total amount for your acceptance to render this help to me,

Finally, I will like to encourage you not to have double mind or entertain fears for rendering this help to me since this is a personal money that has nothing to do with government of any country or its agents. So you should feel very free to reply me immediately for more details.

Thank you very much for your great concern. May God bless you and your entire family as I wait for your urgent reply.

Sincerely,
John Ifidon







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