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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: "Mr. Alessandro Signorino" (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:20:27 -0600
Subject: YOUR $11.5MILLION USD... (reply for more details)

Good afternoon,

I’m (Special Agent) Alessandro Signorino, from Heathrow International Airport Security Service London, UK and i hereby wish to inform you that we have recovered your consignment box from the criminals who were trying to redirect it's delivery to another address totally different from yours. Are you aware of this move?

Because the consignment (box) was retrieved from this criminals during our last route line inspection suspected to be banking instruments worth USD $11.500.000.00 (Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) as indicated on the consignment papers. Reply immediately if you authorized the delivery change, and then re-confirm your full name, contact address, telephone/cell & fax for proper verifications.

Waiting your urgent response.

Mr. Alessandro Signorino

Anti-fraud resources: