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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "DR. BEN KOJODOH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bkojodoh@yahoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 06:22:47 +0100
Subject: GOOD DAY TO YOU BROTHER!29

FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION: DEAR SIR/MADAM.
 
SIR;
 
I AM SORRY IF I AM INTRUDING INTO YOUR PRIVACY BY CONTACTING YOU SINCE I DO NOT KNOW YOU PHYSICALLY. THE FACT IS THAT I HAVE BEEN DIRECTED BY THE SPIRIT OF HUMANITARIAN SERVICE TO YOU KNOWING FULLY WELL THAT YOU WILL RESPOND TO THIS OFFER THAT I SHALL BE PUTTING FORWARD TO YOU.
 
COULD YOU PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING ME TO RELOCATE THIS SUM OF (NINE MILLION, THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) (USD$9.3M DOLLARS) INCLUDING (120KG OF GOLD DUST) TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR ESTABLISHING A MEDIUM SIZE INDUSTRY IN YOUR COUNTRY;
 
THE SAID AMOUNT AND “GOLD DUST” WAS DEPOSITED IN OUR BANK BY MRS. LON ANDERSON, A CANADIAN CITIZEN WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH IN 2003. WITH HER ENTIRE FAMILY, WE HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT HIS IMMEDIATE RELATIVE TO COME FORWARD FOR CLAIMS BUT COULD NOT SUCCEED BECAUSE NONE OF HER FAMILY LINAGE WAS ALIVE. THIS RESEARCH TOOK US MANY YEARS BEFORE WE CONFIRM AND DISCOVERED THAT SHE DIED ALONG SIDE WITH HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HER NEXT OF KIN. NOW OUR BANK IS AT THE VERGE OF MOVING THE FUND TO OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESERVE ACCOUNT AS UNCLAIMED FUNDS.
 
BUT AS I AM THE PERSONAL ACCOUNTANT TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER MRS. LON ANDERSON, WHO ARE IN POSITION TO APPOINT ANY FOREIGN BODY TO LAY CLAIM AS THE NEXT OF KIN, SINCE THE BANK HAS GIVEN ME MORE FEW MONTHS TO FIND HER RELATIVE OR HER FUND WILL BE CONFISCATED AND MOVE TO OUR GOVERNMENT RESERVE ACCOUNT. IT WILL BE FOOLISHNESS OF ME TO ALLOW THE FUND TO BE MOVED TO OUR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT SINCE I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPOINT ANY FOREIGN BODY TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN.
 
THIS IS MY REASON OF CONTACTING YOU TO PLAY THE ROLE AS THE NEXT OF KIN. I WILL GIVE YOU ALL VITAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CANADIAN AND THE FUND IN OUR CUSTODY SO THAT YOU WILL CONTACT OUR BANK FOR THEM TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU. YOU CAN COME HERE IN PERSON TO WITNESS THE TRANSFER OR YOU CAN REQUEST THE BANK TO SHIP THE FUNDS TO YOU IN CASH TO YOUR COUNTRY DIPLOMATICALLY.
 
THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU A DRAFT APPLICATION WHICH YOU WILL FORWARD TO OUR BANK FOR RECOGNITION.
 
REPLY AND LET ME KNOW YOUR DETAILS BELOW;
 
FULL NAME, --
AGE, --
ADDRESS, --
OCCUPATION, ---
YOUR DIRECT PHONE NUMBERS---.
 
I WAIT FOR YOUR KIND REPLY.
EMAIL: (BKOJODOH@YAHOO.FR)
 
REGARDS,
DR. BENJAMIN KOJODOH
TELEPH: +229 96 343344.

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