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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: "philip addo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <philip.addo101@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2011 11:26:22 +0100
Subject: CAN YOU BE TRUSTED GIVE ME YOUR WORD

Hello
 
My Dear Friend,
 
I am MR. PHILIP ADDO, Senior Payment Officer (SCB) Standard Chartered Bank Ghana. I am making this contact with you based on the need for an individual/company who is willing to assist me with a solution to a money transfer. First and foremost, I apologized using this medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to Confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this medium.
 
In unfolding this proposal, I want to count on you, as a respected and honest person to handle this transaction with sincerity, trust and confidentiality. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction.
 
There is an account opened in this bank in 1997 and till 2003 nobody has operated on this account. We have sent notification message to the address and email which we found in some old files in the records, But there was no response from anybody to claim this funds. I was forced to travel to Germany and there I got the tragic news that, my client Mr. Andreas Schranner, his wife Maria, their daughter Andrea Eich, his son in law Christian, and their children Maximilian and Katharina, all perished on the Monday, 31 July, 2000 plane crash into Hotelissimo unknown to this establishment.
 
No other person knows this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything about this account and the money involved is USD $27,200,000.00 (Twenty Seven Million Two-Hundred Thousand United State Dollars Only).My Friend i am telling you the Truth even though we have not seen each before. This is a great chance that you can not affor lose it is real View the web site bellow for more information on our late client.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
 
This business is hatch and mature for more than seven (7) years now all i need is your full cooperation to enable us move this funds into any bank account of your choice. in response to this my email i will furnished you with all the information that you will need to make this claim from the holding bank, which you are going to fax direct to the Bank to release the funds in your favor.
 
No payment of anything is required. I have make all necessary arrangement to cover all cost During the time of processing the transfer of this funds into your Bank account, don't be boreded concerning that i have taken care. All i need is just a foreign partner with good bank account where the funds will be paid into.
 
Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
 
Regards,
Sir, Philip Addo

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