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: Estelle Deme <estdeme@cptelnet.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 07:40:24 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From: Miss Estelle Deme.

From: Miss Estelle Deme.


Good day,


Best compliments of the Day. I am deeply sorry if I have in any manner disturbed your privacy. It's my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish with you in your country or anywhere safe enough in Abroad for security, Political and economical reasons. I just felt like empting myself to you to confide in you, since I am confused with frustration and hardship. My Ernest prayer is that you find this mail in good health and blessings.


I am Miss Estelle Deme, presently living in Ivory Coast. My father was been poisoned by his business associates on 30th November 2009, because of his wealth. Before the death of my late father on 30th November 2009 in a private hospital here in Abidjan, he secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of $7.500.000 (Seven Million, five hundred thousand dollars) left in a fix deposit account in a Bank here in Abidjan, that he used my name as his only child for the next of kin in deposit of the fund, I want you to serve as my guardian over this money, since I am not mature and I do not have business experience.


I am willing to offer you 20% of the sum as compensation for saving my life and my inheritance and your effort after the successful transfer of this fund to your designate account overseas. Kindly get back to me for more details. Have a nice day.


Extend my warmest regards to your entire family.


Yours faithful
Miss Estelle Deme.

Anti-fraud resources: