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: "UK Lottery Organization" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <patrickjones_888@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 23:49:57 +0100
Subject: Your e-mail address has won you US$4,600,000.00

Your e-mail address has won you US$4,600,000.00
UK LOTTERY ORGANIZATION
TICKET FREE/ONLINE E-MAIL ADDRESS WINNINGS DEPARTMENT.
Are you the correct owner of this email address? If yes then be glad this day as the result of the UK lotto online e-mail address free-ticket winning draws of July 25 2010 has just been released and we are glad to announce to you that your email address won you the sweepstakes in the first category and you are entitled to claim the sum of US$4.6Million.

Your email address was entered for the online draw on this ticket #:NDB8109525637 and won on this Lucky #: MX014926583 You are to contact Mr.Patrick Jones On the below email address for options on how to receive your won prize of US$4.6M. To enable Mr. Patrick Jones ascertain you as the rightful winner and receiver of the $4.6Million cheque, MAKE SURE you include the below listed information in your contact mail to him.
Your complete official names, country of origin and country of residence/work, contact telephone and mobile numbers, address, amount won, free ticket and lucky numbers, date of draw. OPTIONAL: - [Sex, age, occupation and job title].
UK.L.O.
Online Winning Notification Department.


Anti-fraud resources: