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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: kate_donald1000@hotmail.com
Reply-To: kate.donald@ymail.com
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:30:30 +0300
Subject: Private

Dear Sir/Madam,


In order to transfer the sum of $7.5M from our bank here in London. I have the
courage to look for a reliable person who will be capable and honest for this
important transaction, believing that you will not let my effort down in
future, I am Kate Donald ,the auditor and computing
staff of my Bank.

There is an account opened in this bank since 1999 and since 2001 it has not
been operated by any one, after my investigation in some files I could lay my
hands upon, I discovered that if I do not remit this urgent in an account
urgently, it will be confiscated by our bank. The owner of this account is
late Mr. John Hughes Coe and a manager of petrol chemical service and also an
engineer here in London who died since 2003.

My dear, nobody knows about this account or anything about this account, it is
at this junctures that I deem your assistance to remit this money into your
account.

I am only contacting you as a friend and partner and as well as a foreigner,
who will not betray me or try to
cheat me when you have received this money. I know that this massage will come
to you as a surprise as you do not know me do I know you this transaction is
real, and one hundred percent risk free, and hoping you will be of immense
assistance to each other when the
transaction has been concluded.

When the transfer is approved and payment schedule is allocated overseas
through our offshore payment representative for final clearance and signing of
the payment released form to you as the beneficiary of funds.

I want us to meet face in a round table meeting concern the success of this
transaction to discuss the percentage of sharing the money. Or sign a binding
agreement to bind us together in this transaction, so that we can receive this
money into your nominated Bank account or any
account of your choice, an empty account could serve if possible you can set
up a new account for this purpose, that won't be a bad idea.

I am contacting you because of the need to involved foreigner, where we can
receive these funds as the real beneficiary of money.

I need your cooperation to make this dream a reality; I am ready to give 20%
out of the total sum of money upon the conclusion of transaction with you. I
need your assurance that we can work together
to achieve.

Best regards,
Kate Donald

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