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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: "Adrian Muskan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <admus11@rediffmail.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:26:43 -0700
Subject: [!! SPAM] Private letter

Bilbao Bizkaia Kuxta (BBK)
70 Gran Via 47009
C/M Bizkaia,Vitoria-Gasteiz,
Basque.

Dear Friend,

I apologize if I have invaded your privacy.I am searching for a foreign business partner who is in a position to assist me with my urgent business proposal.I need a partner,who understands what confidentiality means and has the necessary facilities required in embarking on this important venture.I choosed to contact you through email as it has remained the only possible means I consider safe to contact you.

I want to transfer abroad a total sum of US$18,596,142.00 (Eighteen Million,Five Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand,One Hundred and Forty-Two Dollars).I am an Accountant,with above named bank.It was in the Course of our Auditing that I discovered a floating fund in an account opened with the security section in 1998 and since the year 2000 nobody has operated on this account again.

After going through some old files in the records,I discovered that the owner of the account died without an Heir,hence the money has been floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing to the Basque Government.From my investigations I found out that the owner of this account was Mr.Donald Melch,a foreigner,and an Industrialist,he died since 2000 and no other person knows about this account or anything concerning it except me and most probably you as you read this letter.The account has no beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Mr.Donald Melch until his death was the Managing Director,Autohaus Fuchs,GMBH.

I am contacting you as a foreigner because this money can only be approved to a foreigner with a valid means of identification and foreign account because the money is in US Dollars and the former owner of the account Mr.Donald Melch is a foreigner.I am revealing all this to you with the belief that you will never let me down in this business.For your active participation,I have two options of compensating you.Firstly you can choose to have 30% of the total money for your assistance or you can go into partnership with me for the proper and profitable investment of the entire money in your country in any lucrative business you will advise me of.Of course,the investment must be under your direct management and supervision.As soon as the money has been transferred into your account,I shall come to your country and meet you face to face to work out the modalities of the investments.

Please notify me of your choice in your reply.I have also set aside 5% of the total sum US$18,596,142.00 for all kinds of expenses that may come our way in the process of this transaction. Please note that this 5% for expenses is not with me at the moment but shall be deducted from the money as soon as you have received it in your account.Be informed that this transaction is risk free as all modalities have been put in place for a hitch free transaction.To commence this transaction,I require you to immediately indicate your interest by a return e-mail to the above address and enclose your private contact telephone number,fax number,full name and address.

Yours Sincerely,
Adrian Muskan.
Private email:musk_adriaprivate50@rediffmail.com

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