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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: John Kuffur <jkuffur@gmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: kufforjohn@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 14:52:17 GMT
Subject: Thanks and regards

Dear Sir, My name is John Kuffur, a citizen of Sudan. I am the only surviving son of my parent as the where killed in the previous political crisis in Sudan and I manage to escape with my late father consignment box containing $10.3million United State Dollars clean and spendable cash. I am writing you now in regard of your help to me. i got your email contact on the Ethernet where i was looking for some to help me I arrived in Ghana Kotoka International Airport two days ago with my late father fund box and the box was seized at the airport by custom officers demanding to know the content of the box but I never allow them to inspect the box because if they know I am carrying such amount of money, they will seize the fund. They where demanding for non-inspection paper and after all other clearance I made at the airport, I was left with nothing and they seized the box that until I give non-inspection paper they will release my box to me. This that i am telling you is very important and confidential. Sir, I really need your help to assist me get my box from the airport so that I can open the box and send the money to you in your country through any means you will prefer so that you send for me to join you in your country to leave a better life. Sir, during when I was very tired at the airport yesterday and it was going dark, no food to eat and no place to sleep, I met a custom officer name MR.ALBERT MENSAH who took me to his house and he took care of me. Sir, I confided in Mr. Albert Mensah after telling him my life story that I have $10.3million in the box and I told him my intention of sending the fund to you as my beneficiary and he promised to assist me to transfer the fund to you in your country through whatever means you will want it. Please sir, take me as your own son and help me so that I can claim the box and send the money to you. Please sir, treat this with urgent, I don’t want the box to stay in the airport much longer so that they do not know the content. I am willing to give you part of the money once you can help me, and I can get the funds released to me. I wait for your urgent respond. Best regard, John Kuffur

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