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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: "Mrs.Helen Shoup" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <helenshoup@1email.eu>
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:17:30 +0100
Subject: Please reply me

HELLO DEAR ,

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

I AM MRS HELEN SHOUP A WIDOW TO LATE HERBERT SHOUP.FROM VIRGINIA,USA.PRESENTLY IN NETHERLAND, RECEIVING TREATMENTS, I AM 68 YEARS OLD AND A NEW CHRISTIAN CONVERT SUFFERING FROM LONG TIME CANCER OF THE BREAST.

FROM ALL INDICATION MY DOCTORS TOLD ME THAT MY DEATH TIME FRAME IS VERY CLOSE ,THIS IS BECAUSE THE CANCER STAGE HAS GOTTEN TO A VERY BAD STAGE. MY LATE HUSBAND HERBERT FRAJMAN WAS KILLED DURING THE U.S. RAID AGAINST TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN AND DURING THE PERIOD OF OUR MARRIAGE WE WERE UNLUCKY NOT TO HAVE AN ISSUE.

MY CARING LOVING HUSBAND WHO LEFT ME IN THE TIME I NEEDED HIM MOST WAS VERY WEALTHY AND AFTER HIS DEATH, I INHERITED ALL HIS BUSINESS AND WEALTH AS WILLED TO ME BY HIM THROUGH OUR FAMILY LAWYER BUT SINCE THE DOCTORS ADVISED ME THAT I MAY NOT LIVE FOR MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS MAXIMUM,I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR A GOOD PERSON WHICH I THINK MIGHT BE YOU TO HELP ME IN SHARING THIS SAID FUND $5.6MILLION DOLLARS TO VARIOUS CHARITY ORGANISATION ALL OVER THE WORLD IF POSSIBLE BUT IF NOT THE ONES CLOSE TO YOU WILL BE FINE AS LONG AS THEY GET EQUAL SHARE OF THE DONATIONS ,IT WAS DIFFCULT FOR ME TO TAKE THIS DECISION BUT I DON'T HAVE MUCH CHOICE SINCE MY RELATIVES WHICH WERE SUPPOSE TO DO THIS WORK FOR ME HAS DISSAPOINTED AND DESERTED ME IN THE PAST. BEFORE SENDING OUT THIS EMAIL TO YOU I PRAYED OVER IT AND STILL HOPES TO HEAR BACK POSITIVELY FROM YOU SO THAT I CAN GIVE YOU CONTACT OF THE SECURITY COMPANY IN SPAIN FOR YOU TO CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY AND RECIEVE THE FUNDS BEFORE MY DEATH AS I HAVE LIMITED TIME.I KNOW THAT THIS

LASTLY I AWAIT YOUR QUICK RESPONSE AND HONESTLY PRAY THAT THIS MONEY WHEN TRANSFERRED TO YOU WILL BE USED FOR THE SAID CHARITY DONATION PURPOSE, BECAUSE I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT WEALTH ACQUISITION WITHOUT CHRIST IS VANITY. REMAIN BLESSED,I LOOK FORWARD IN HEARING FROM YOU..

YOURS IN CHRIST.
MRS HELEN SHOUP
E-MAIL: mrshelenshoup@hotmail.com

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