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: "mar_ahmed@cantv.net" <mar_ahmed@cantv.net>
Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2010 12:04:26 -0430
Subject: Good Day


Good Day

 

 I'm Miss Mariam Ahmed the only child/daughter of late Mrs.Aminata Ahmed Address: Rue 142 Marcory Abidjan Ivory Coast. I am contacting you because I need your urgent help to secure the money that my late mother left for me before she died.

 

I am 20years old girl. I lost my parent, and I have an inheritance from my late mother, My parents were very wealthy farmers and cocoa merchant when they were alive, After the death of my father, long ago, my mother was controlling his business until she was poisoned by her business associates which she suffered and died. Before the death of my mother on October 2007 in a private hospital here in Coted'ivoire where she was admitted, she secretly called me on her bed side and disclosed to me about the sum of Eight million five hundred US dollars ($8.5million) she left in suspense account in one of the bank here in Abidjan.

 

I have accepted to offer you 20% of the total sum for your desire to assist me. Please do respond immediately you receive this mail for more information’s regarding the transfer.

 

Your faithfuly.
Miss Mariam Ahmed

E-Mail/: mariamahmed010@hotmail.fr

 

 

 

 

Anti-fraud resources: