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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: "MRS.INGA-BRITT AHLENIUS" <aingabritt@rocketmail.com>
Date: 11 Jul 2011 12:32:48 -0000
Subject: GOOD NEWS


FROM: MRS.INGA-BRITT AHLENIUS.
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
Internal Audit, Monitoring, Consulting and Investigations Division

Attention: Beneficiary.

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and family? You may not understand why this mail came to you. We have been having meetings for the past 7 months, which ended few days ago with the new secretary to the UNITED NATIONS.

This email is to all the people that have been scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of (US$1.8 Million) this includes every foreign contractor that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems etc. We found your name and e-mail address in our list and that is why we are contacting you, this have been agreed upon and have been signed.

Our representative in London will be in contact with you for further information; as you will also be required to open an account with our paying bank for the transfer of your compensation funds. But first,we need your response, with your phone number and contact address.

Making the world a better place.

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Inga-Britt Ahlenius.
United Nations Under-Secretary-
General for Internal Oversight.

Anti-fraud resources: