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: "MR MARK WILLIAMS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <googlewinne@tranphu.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:33 +0200
Subject: Dear Lucky Winner,

Google Incorporation®.
Belgrave House,
76 Buckingham Palace Road,
London SW1W 9TQ,
United Kingdom
 
 
Dear Lucky Winner,
Notification Date: 24th/08/2010
GOOGLE WINNING NOTIFICATION.
 
We wish to congratulate you once again on this note, for being part of our lucky winners selected this year. This promotion was set-up to encourage the active use of the Google search engine and the Google ancillary services. Hence we do believe with your winning prize, you will continue to be active and patronage to this company. Google is now the world leading search engine worldwide, and in an effort to ensure that it remains the most widely used search engine, an online e-mail balloting was carried out on the AUGUST 1ST 2010 without your knowledge, it was officially released 24th Of AUGUST 2010.We wish to formally announce to you that your email address was attached to a lump sum of ?450,000.00{Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling's}.
 
We also wish to inform you that you have successfully passed the requirements, statutory obligations, verifications and our satisfactory report test conducted for all our online winners. A winning Cheque will be issued in your name by Google Promotion Award Team, and also a certificate of prize claims will be sent along side your winning Cheque.
These are your award details.
Security Code Number: GUK/4532345G.
Ticket No: GUK/699/33/2010
Winning Number: GUK/877/798/2010
Information's required from you are part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. To claim your won prize, please contact our Foreign Transfer Manager MR MARK WILLIAMS neatly filling the verification and fund release form below.
 
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.
(1) Your contact address.
(2) Your Tel/Fax numbers.
(3) Your Nationality/Country.
(4) Your Full Name.
(5) Sex.
(6) Occupation
(7) Age.
(8) Ever won an online lottery?
 
Mode of Prize Remittance.
(1)Courier Delivery Of your Certified Winning Cheque Name and other Winning Documents safely to you.
You are advised to contact your Foreign Transfer Manager mr  mark williams with his private email details below to avoid unnecessary delay and complications:
 
***********************************************
FOREIGN CLAIMS MANAGER
MR MARK WILLIAMS
GOOGLE SECURITY DEPARTMENT (UK).
E-mail;googlewinne@tranphu.com
Telephone: +44-701-112-1039
 
**********************************************
The Google Promotion Award Team has discovered a huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends relatives and third parties about their winnings and also sharing their identification numbers. As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The Google promotion award committee has reached a decision from the headquarters at the United Kingdom that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board will result to the disqualification of the winners lottery. So you are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you claim your prize.
Congratulations from the Staffs & Members of the Google interactive Lottery Board Commission.
Yours Sincerely,
 
MRS. VERUMLEM KLEITH.
GOOGLE ZONAL CORDINATOR
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
Call: +44 701-112-1039
 

Anti-fraud resources: