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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: "Peter Snaith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <petersnaith@w.cn>
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 01:16:35 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL

DEAREST FELLOW BEFORE I INTRODUCE MYSELF....I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.


MY NAME IS ERICCSSON DOE 24YEARS OLD....MY FATHER SAMUEL DOE THE PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA WAS CAPTURED AND KILLED IN THE BLOODY COUP THAT ENGULFED MY COUNTRY IN THE EARLY 90s.....I WAS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD.....MY MOTHER THERESA DOE WAS THE FOURTH WIFE OF MY FATHER....AND TOGETHER WITH MY ELDER SISTER JANICE DOE WHO WAS 6YEARS OLD AT THE TIME...MY MUM FLEE TO FRANCE....AND WE WERE PUT UNDER DIPLOMATIC PROTECTION UNTIL WE WERE GRANTED FULL EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP.


WE HAVE LIVED A VERY PRIVATE AND PRUDENT LIVE EVER SINCE FOR FEAR OF BEING VICTIMIZED AS MOST LIBERIANS STILL BLAME MY FATHER FOR THE DOWN FALL OF LIBERIA....AM STUDYING TO BECOME A CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT AT THE LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL AND MY ELDER SISTER JANICE IS A QUALIFIED NURSE.


WHAT AM ABOUT TO SHARE WITH YOU AND ALSO SEEK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND ADVICE IS A FAMILY SECRET WHICH HAS BEEN KEPT SECURELY BY OUR MOTHER FOR OVER 25 YEARS....MY MOTHER WAS DIAGONIZED WITH A TERMINAL CANCER LAST YEAR...WHICH ACTUALLY PROMPTED THIS WHOLE ISSUE.....


MY LATE FATHER DEPOSITED A BOND FOR ME AND MY SISTER IN A SECURITY FIRM IN UNITED KINGDOM WHICH IS AMOUNTED TO $17.5 MILLION USD (SEVENTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED USD)....THE SECURITY CHARGE ON THE BOXES WAS AGREED ON A DECADE BASES...THE FIRST TWO DECADES HAS BEEN CLEARED....MY MOTHER AND MY SISTER PLUS ME HAD REACHED A CONCLUSION....WHICH IS SENDING THIS EMAIL TO YOU BELIEVING YOU ARE CAPABLE ENOUGH TO STAND FOR US AS A FAMILY NOMINEE TO RECEIVE THIS FUND ON OUR BEHALF AND IN RETURN YOU WILL BE OFFERED 25% OF $17.5M USD.....PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME AND SEE YOU ARE CONTENTED WITH THE OFFER.


IF YOU CHOSE TO HELP US PLEASE SEND ME YOUR FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS SO I CAN SEND TO OUR FAMILY LAWYER TO PREPARE THE PAPER WORK TO BE FORWARDED TO THE SECURITY COMPANY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.


I HAVE ENTRUSTED THIS FAMILY MATTER FOR YOUR PERUSAL HOPING YOU WILL NOT IN ANY WAY SELL US OUT......WE HOPE TO GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE....AND IF YOU NOT CONTENTED WITH THE OFFER PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO NEGOTIATE YOUR TERMS AND ALSO IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU DONT UNDERSTAND PLEASE WRITE AND ASK ME.


BEST REGARDS,
ERIC




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