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: "Barr.Pecko Eldor" <pecko_pecko@cantv.net>
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:54:29 -0430
Subject: PAYMENT APPROVAL,

Attn:  Beneficiary,

   
     I am Barr. Eldor Pecko,attorney representing the families of Air crash victims of Boeing 727 UTA Flight 141 on 25th December 2003. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2 /hi/africa/3348109.stm)

After a long legal battle for compensation, the Benin High Court of Justice has approved the interim compensation of 250 million United States Dollars for the families of Air crash victims.

I am contacting you in respect of Mr.Ahmad Malik, a national of your country whose compensation of 1.7M$ have been paid but up till now there is no trace of any family member or relative and the Insurance company Societé de Gestion & D'Expertises D'Assurances in Benin have sent me an urgent notice to present the next of kin or relative of the victim or that the fund will be paid back to the treasury of the Benin Government as an unclaimed bill.

Thus my contact to you to present you immediately as the next of kin since you have the same nationality with the late victim, so that the compensation will be paid in your name and you and I will share with in the ration of 50%/50% after reduction of the expenses incurred.

I request that you send me the following information to enable me start the payment process in your favour.

1. Copy of your ID
2.Home address
3. Direct Telephone number

I guarantee to you that this will be executed under a normal legal and legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, but you must also agree not to disclose or pass any information related to this issue till the compensation is successfully made.

Awaiting for your urgent response.

Regards
Barr. Eldor Pecko

This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressees. If you receive this message in error, please delete it and immediately notify the sender. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use, copying or dissemination is prohibited. E-mails are susceptible to alteration.

Anti-fraud resources: