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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: harriet2love@gmail.com (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:13:50 -0500
Subject: Hi


Hi
I am very sorry to send you this message which you might not expect from me today. I contacted you because I have already passed through many sufferings over here in my country after the sudden death of my parents and I contacted you for a better solution and advice from you.

My name is Harriet Bartholomew. I am 19 years old girl and the only daughter of my late parents Mr. and Mrs. Hulbert Bartholomew.

Few years back, my late father was a cocoa merchant here in Abidjan the economic capital of Ivory Coast here in West Africa before he was poisoned to death in December 2007 by my evil uncle (Mr. Athanase Bartholomew).

But before my father died in a private hospital here in Abidjan, he secretly called me by his sick bed and told me that he deposited the sum of one million, five hundreds thousands Euros (1.500, 000.00 Euros) in a central bank here in Abidjan.

My father told me that he used my name (Harriet Bartholomew) as the next of kin to deposit the money in the bank before he died and I have automatically becomes the legal owner of the money in the bank now.

After the death of my father, my evil uncle who planned my father’s death started pursuing me so that he will kill me and take over my inherited money because I am a little girl and do not have any other relation who will protect me here in Africa.

I have also been to the police of my country to make an entry regarding my evil uncle, but the police keep on delaying the matter because not body is standing beside me.

Note: I am writing you this message from a local hotel guesthouse where I am presently hiding for my safety because of my wicked uncle who wants to kill me.

Please I need your urgent assistance in these ways:

(1) I want you to help me transfer my inherited money into your bank account for investment in your country and after the transfer you will help me apply for a residence permit to enable me come over to your country to continue my schooling.

(2) I am willing to offer you 25% (375,000.00 Euro) of the total money after you help me transfer it into your bank account.

(3) Can I completely trust you? I need your assurance.
Finally, I want you to reply me immediately you read my mail today so that I will send you more information's to enable us proceed further with the money transfer to your bank account.

Please I beg you to try your possible best and keep everything about me top secrete and confidential to your self, do not tell any other person about me until I come over to your country after the successful transfer of my inherited money to your bank account, this is because of my safety!

With all my love and respect for you,

Harriet

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