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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: Rev Michael Ovia <udumoney@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: revmichaeljovia@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 06:55:26 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Re: YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED VERY URGENT


Dear Friend,





it is my pleasure to write this mail to you based
on mutual business assistance that will benefit both of us. My name is
Barrister Dan Philips, of Sui-Juris chambers, Lagos - Nigeria.





I
have a client who is Engr. Helmut Ruting of Germany. He is a registered
contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria and has lived in
Nigeria for many years though without a wife or children. The Federal
Government awarded him a contract under the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) for the maintenance and supply of spare parts for
rehabilitation of Oil refineries in Nigeria to the tune of Twenty Four
Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty
Eight United States Dollars (US$24,868,668.00)





My client Mr. Helmut Ruting duly executed and completed the contract and the Federal Government has deposited the
total contract value of the sum of US$24,868,668.00 to the European Bank, London in the name and account of Mr. Helmut Ruting.





Unfortunately.
Mr. Ruting was attacked and killed on the 4th April 2011 by some
militants in the Rivers State of Nigeria. Now the European Bank, London
has just sent a letter to the Federal Government of Nigeria about the
repatriation of the fund and the Federal Government through the office
of the Accountant General forwarded the letter to me as the lawyer to
Mr. Ruting to locate any of the Next of Kin to Ruting and forward to
the European Bank to release the US$24,868,668.00 into the next of kin
account immediately.





I have made all frantic effort to locate
any of the Next of Kin to Helmut Ruting but to no avail both through
the German Embassy here. Then I decided to contact you through this
medium to be the next of kin to Ruting so that the fund can be paid
into your bank account. I will provide every necessary documents that
will make you an eligible next of kin to Ruting which I will sent to
the European Bank, London to enable them release the fund in your favor.





If
you are interested to assist me recover this fund, I will give you
every instrument for you to confirm that the fund is really in the
European Bank, London to be sure that this is not a scam or false
business before me proceed.





Other information shall be given to you upon the receipt of your urgent response.





Thanking you in anticipation.





Rev Michael Ovia

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