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: "Meg Boomster" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <meridsfin@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:59:53 +0200
Subject: FROM EUROMILLION LOTTERY. EMAIL LOTTERY WIN NOTIFICATION

Euromillion Lottery Intl
Stadioweg 786
1769GH, Rotterdam. Netherland
File Ref. No. EM/SP/980003201

Dear Winner,

The prestigious Euromillion Lottery has set out and successfully organised a Sweepstakes for Microsoft
email users for the month 30/08/2011. €950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euros) is been
rolled out Your email was luckily drawn by a computer ballot system as one
of our winners in our lottery bonanza from the prestigous MICROSOFT/EUROMILLION PROMOTION.
Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket number 008795727498 with
serial numbers BTD/9080648302/06 and drew the lucky numbers 14-21-25-39-40-47(20) which
subsequently won you €950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euros) as one of the jackpot winners in the 2nd category.
Please Contact our Disgnated Fiduciary Agent below for your lotto Prize money.
**************************************************
Albert Van Heijn.
Meridian Finance Group
Email: meridsfin@gmail.com
Tel: +31-686-074-407
Fax: 0012673924402
***************************************************

KINDLY FILL BELOW YOUR DETAILS AND SEND IT TO OUR DISGNATED CLAIM AGENT.
Name Of Winner:__________Sex____Nationality:____Age:______Occupation::____Marital Status:__Tel No:_____Fax No:_____
Postal Address:___Country:_____Amount Won:______Winning E-mail Address:_____Lucky Number___
Sincerely,

Dr Mrs Meg Boomster
Head Customercare Service
Euromillion Lottery

Anti-fraud resources: