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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: "David English" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <davidukgovt@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 16:05:30 +0200
Subject: PARTNERSHIP.

Attention Please,
 
TRANSFER OF TWENTY EIGHT MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND BRITISH POUNDS (£28, 600,000.00) ONLY.
 
I got your contact through search from the British Chambers of Commerce, subsequent to this and other investigations resulting in a good commendation. I therefore have decided to contact you to partnership with me in the transfer of £28, 600,000:00. The stated amount resulted from an over-invoiced contract sum executed for the British Petroleum (B.P) for which the foreign contractors have been fully paid. Because the £28, 600,000:00 was part of the overall contract sum amounting to £100, 000,000.00 that has been completed.
 
The over invoice amount of £28,600,000.00 has remained dormant and floating in Bank of England escrow account, I will need you as foreign partner, so I can raise supplementary documents qualifying you as an unpaid foreign contractor to enable transfer into an account that is to be nominated by you, as government employee, the code of conduct does not allow us to possess or operate foreign bank accounts, therefore I solicit for your assistance, in receiving the fund as one of the foreign contractors who executed the contract.
 
Proceeds of this deal will be shared on 50-50 basis. Indicate your willingness to participate in this deal, by providing me with your direct telephone line, while responding so we can discuss at length on how to achieve this prospect.
 
Feel free to ask me any question while responding.
 
Warm regards,
David English

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