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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: "Dr. Ibrahim Quattara" <ibrahimquattara3@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: ibramci@live.fr
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:07:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Urgent Response Required.








Dr. Ibrahim Quattara.

Chairman Contract Review Panel,

 

Attn: Mr/Mrs.

 

Sir,

 

Firstly, I must solicit your strictest
confidence in this transaction. This by virtue of its nature as being utterly
confidential and "Top Secret". I got your contact in our search for a
foreign partner who has the ability and reliability to prosecute a transaction
of great magnitude involving a pending business transaction requiring maximum
confidence.



We are top officials of the Federal
Government contract review panel who are interested in investment in your
country with funds which are presently trapped here in Cote d’Ivoire.
In order to commence this business we solicit your assistance to enable us
transfers into your account the said withheld funds. The source of this
fund is as follows:

 

During the last regime here of General Robert
Guei in Ivory Coast some
government officials set up companies and awarded themselves contracts which
were grossly over Invoiced in various ministries. The government set up a
contract review panel and we have identified a lot of inflated contracts funds
which are presently deposited in a bank here in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

 

However, by virtue of our position as
civil servants and members of this panel, we cannot acquire this money in
our name. I have therefore been delegated as a matter of trust by my
colleagues to look for an overseas partner into whose account we would
transfer the total sum of USD$35,500,000.00 [Thirty five million, five hundred United States
dollars].

 

Hence we are writing you this letter. We agreed
to share the money thus:

 

[1] 20% for the account owner

[2] 80% for us [The Officials]

It is from the 80% that we wish to commence
investments in your country as you will also stand as our foreign agent over
there. Please note that this transaction is 100% safe and we hope to commence
the transaction latest three [3] days from the date of the receipt of the
following information bellow.

 

[A] Company name beneficiary of
account.

[B] Your
personal tel/fax numbers.



The bank will require this two after
all the legal modalities are met for onward transfer of the total sum into your
bank account.

[C] Bank account information where the fund
will be transferred.

[D] Your account address, tel/fax
numbers.

 

The above information will enable us commence
the transfer of this funds into your account in your country without
delay.  

We are
looking forward to doing business with you and solicit your
confidentiality in this transaction. I will bring you into the complete picture
of this pending project when I hear from you.

 

With Kind
regards,

Dr.
Ibrahim Quattara.

 



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