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: "Celester Mensa" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <celestermensa@rediffmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:54:49 +0100
Subject: you and i confidential

Attention .

I know you will be surprised to receive this proposal. Actually I got your contact address from the Internet when I was making an intensive research for my investment in your country then I decided to contact you directly. First, I must introduce myself to you. My name is Celester Mensa, from Accra Ghana in West Africa . I am a refugee being that I lost my father some year’s ago, my late father Mr Isaac Mensa, was a serving director of the GOLD exporting board until his death. He was assassinated in September (2009) by the rebels following a political uprising.
Before his death, he had an account with a bank in a Suspense account here in Accra Ghana up to the tune of Eighteen million United State dollars ($18, 000.000.00). However, due to my present situation as a refugee I wish you to do me a favor to receive this fund to a safe account in your country or any safer place as my foreign beneficiary so that you will invest it in a good business venture like real estate and industrial production for the benefit. as my benefit to further my education am only 17yrs old, and i will be coming to stay under your kind custody after the transfer for my education and future has been made successful to your account

At this present time, i desire this money to be transferred to you fast. I do not wish to leave this money in the bank because bankers might take advantage of my age. am just 17years old and too young to handle this kind of money.
My late father’s relatives who should have handled this situation for me are not good type. Since my father death, they have succeeded in stealing all of my late father’s properties except this money which they do not know about and I do not want to get involved with them because they are dangerous and greedy.
I will be submitting your name to the bank where my late father deposited this money and confirm you as our family friend whom I wish this money to be transferred to. We have also mapped out 60% for ourselves, 40% for your cordial assistance.
Remain bless as I look forward to hear from you with this information’s as follows: for further instruction on what to do.
Full Name...............................

Thanks and may God bless you.
Celester Mensa

Anti-fraud resources: