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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Mohammed Al-Hassan Adams:" <loffice4810@att.net>
Reply-To: <mdal-hassan.adams@gmx.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:53:57 -0700
Subject: Re: Transaction,

Dear Sir,
 
I hope this message reaches you in good health and happiness.
 
I feel quite safe dealing with you having gone through your remarkable profile on the internet. By way of introduction, I am Mr. Mohammed Al-Hassan Adams, a Ghanaian, born on the 20th of September, 1948 in Tamale, Capital City of the Northern Region of Ghana. I held the office of the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Contract Award Committee between the years 2006 to 2011, March.
 
A contract was awarded to a Chinese Company by the Community Computer Center (CCC) in collaboration with the Department of Communication under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to supply (150,000) One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pieces of High Quality Windows 7 Home Premium/Notebook Laptop Computers to the Fifteen (15) ECOWAS Member States Sub-Regional Headquarters.
 
The said Laptop Computers where supplied at (US$600.00) Six Hundred United States Dollars only per a Laptop which amounted to the tune of (US$90,000,000.00) Ninety Million United States Dollars only but I deliberately instructed the contracted Company to add to sum of (US$65.00) Fifty Five United States Dollars only per a Laptop which amounted to the tune of (US$9,750,000.00) Nine Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United Sates Dollars only and I also instructed the contracted Company to over invoiced the contract sum to the tune of  (US$99,750,000.00) Ninety-Nine Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United Sates Dollars only on their Firm Payment Proforma Invoice which was submitted to the ECOWAS Contract Award Committee for payment.
 
Now, the contract has been completed and the contracted Company has also been paid though our accredited paying bank but the left over invoiced to the tune of Nine Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United Sates Dollars (US$9,750,000.00) only is still pending with our accredited paying bank due to the fact that the contracted Company that was supposed to assist me received the funds did not agreed with my terms. Hence, I instructed our accredited paying bank to transfer the sum of (US$90,000,000.00) Ninety Million United States Dollars only to the contracted Company’s bank account in China.
 
As a civil servant, our code of ethics did not permit me to receive or have an investment of such amount of funds here in West Africa. Hence, I am contacting you to assist me in transferring the over invoiced sum of (US$9,750,000.00) Nine Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United Sates Dollars only to any designated bank account of your choice for safety and my onward investment projects, I shall compensate you with 25% of the total funds for your services which we hope you will accept with an open mind.
 
You have no reason to fear of any hitch as this transaction will be legally executed in a manner that will protect you from any breach of the Laws as I have made a concrete plan with the bank where the funds is presently deposited for the secure and smooth transfer of the funds to overseas but you must handle this information wisely by keeping it only to yourself to enable us successfully transfer the funds to your account without any hitch.
 
If you accept this offer, we shall enter into an agreement that will bind us together after which we shall authorize the bank to transfer the funds to any designated bank account of your choice. Please quickly get back to me in absolute confidence for further proceeding.
 
I await your prompt response.
 
Yours faithfully,
Mohammed Al-Hassan Adams,
Email: mal-hassan.adams@gmx.com

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