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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: Mohammed Salek <mohammed_salek@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: salek_mohammed@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2011 22:59:07 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: I NEED YOUR RESPONSE PLEASE


Dear Friend,
    
    Thank you very much for reading my proposal as i know that you might be surprise to receive such email from a person that you have not known or met before. I am assuring you that this proposal is of good intention and mutual benefit to both of us.
    
    My name is Capt. Mohammed Magid Salek,the security aid to the late President Muammar Mohammed Gaddafi of Libya who was killed by the opposition group on Thursday the 20th of October 2011 following his refusal to hand over power.
    
    Since i was appointed as security aid, I had the privilege to work with  President Gaddafi and i have watched closely how Libyan treasury was looted and siphoned by President Gaddafi during his rule of dictatorship in Libya which attracted the interest of the opposition group and United Nations forcing him to vacate office.
    
    Few days before his death, as if he foresaw the looming danger ahead of him. President Gaddafi directed me to leave the country and deliver a metal box to Republic of Nigeria for safety which he did not disclose the content to me. Upon my safe arrival to Nigeria with the metal box, I heard the news of President Gaddafi's death through the international media. I decided to find out the content of the metal box and discovered that the sum of USD 8.5m was concealed in the metal box which i deposited with the trust deposit firm in my name and was declared as family valuables to avoid letting the management of the trust deposit firm knowing the actual content.
    
    I have applied and was granted political asylum seeker by the Nigerian Government but the immigration law does not permit me to invest or operate a bank account in Nigeria.
    
    I solicit your assistance to receive this fund in your country on my behalf for my future investment overseas as i have no knowledge of oversea investment, hence i have been in military service right from my youth age. I have no intention of investing this fund in any part of Africa due to the incessant political and economic crisis prevailing in Africa which does not encourage safe investment.
    
    Please, if you are interested to assist me, do get back to me through my email and also call me immediately to enable me give you further details and the modalities to conclude this transaction. My telephone number is +234 81863 77428.
    I will be waiting for your call, thanks and may God bless you.
    
    Best regards,
    
    Capt. Mohammed Magid Salek
    
    Phone: +234 81863 77428.

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