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: Ahmed Bello <ahmed.bellobf@voila.fr>
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:53:36 +0100
Subject: ASALLA M-ALYKUM/DEAR FRIEND,

 ASALLA M-ALYKUM/DEAR FRIEND,
 
 
I know that this message might come to you as a surprise. However, it all just my urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you. I got your contact from yahoo tourist search while I was searching for a foreign partner.  My Name is Ahmed Bello. I hail from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa. I am a Banker by profession.
However, my reason for contacting you is to transfer an abandoned $10,300, 000.00 (Ten Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars) to your foreign account.
Hence, I am inviting you for this business deal where this money shall be shared between you and I, in the ratio of 60 / 40% if you agree to my proposal.
This money has been unclaimed since 13 years in our Bank. The owner of this fund is a foreigner, who died since August 1997 with his Next Of Kin.
Further details of the transaction shall be forwarded to you as soon as I receive your return mail.
Please indicate your willingness by sending the below information for more clarification and easy communication.
1) Full name..........................
2) Age.................................
3) Address......................
4) Occupation..........................
5) Telephone number..................
Trusting to hear from you immediately.
 
 
 
Mrr Ahmed Bello.
 

Anti-fraud resources: