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: "Mrs. Susan Schneider Iwanski" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <susanschneider102@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:01:12 +0100
Subject: Dear Beloved in Christ. Please help me and God will reward you!

Dear Beloved in Christ.
Don’t be surprise to receive this message, i got your email address from a mail directory. I am Mrs. Susan Schneider Iwanski, married to Engr. Fritz Schneider Iwanski a German Citizen who worked with Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company  in United Kingdom for twenty Years. My husband died in the AF4590 Concorde Plane Crash July 2000, we  married without any children.
After the death of my late husband, I decided not to re-marry and presently am 65 years old and before the death of my husband, he deposited the sum of US$15.5 Million (Fifteen  Million & Five hundred thousand United States Dollars) with a Security & Finance Vault Company here in Malaysia.
Presently, the management wrote me as the next beneficiary because the initial agreement, which my late husband reached with the security & finance company for collection has expired and due to my critical  health, i am not opportune to conclude this transaction by clearing the consignment from the Security & Finance Vault Company and utilizing the funds as planned because i have a deadly disease called CANCER OF THE LUNGS.
My doctor / physician said my conditions is really deteriorating and is quite obvious that my death is very close because the CANCER stage is becoming worst. Have be hospitalized for the past two years and i have lost the ability to talk. I am an orphan, but my country home origin is United States of America.
Base on doctor reports, am scared because death can come at anytime and i now decided to share my feelings and plans with you at this moment in good faith to distribute the funds through your great influence and assistant by utilize 80% of the total money to the following like churches, orphanages home, handicaps, widows and widowers, while you keep the remaining 20% for yourself.
 
If i receive your reply, i’ll give you all the information on how to collect the money from the Security & Finance Vault Company where the consignment is been deposited. I will also issue you a letter of authority declaring you as the next of kin or beneficiary to the consignment and how you will utilize or disburse 80% from the total sum.
Please kindly assure me that you will act accordingly and keep all details confidential.
I expect your prompt reply. Thanks and God bless you.
Best Regards,
Mother Susan Schneider Iwanski
 

Anti-fraud resources: