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: "Austin Brendan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <austin-b1986@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 11:44:43 -0000
Subject: I Need Your Attention Pls..

>From Austin Brendan.
P.O. Box 201 Abidjan.
Abidjan-Ivory Coast.


Dear,

with respect and honor I come to you for a relationship and good future which will benefit both of us, Pls permit me to express my mind of contacting you, I need your kind urgent attention! I am reaching you with faith to solicit for your kind assistance to help me achieve good plan for investment in your country. I have in mind to establish a good relationship with you which I am desecrating in need of your Kind help to achieve investment in your country.

I am Sierra Leone National, Presently, I Live as a Refugee In republic of Ivory Coast With My Younger Sister as a result of family problems, I am the only son of Late Mr. Brendan. Dunchille Govon, Managing Director of Sierra Leone Gold and Diamond Mining Corporation before his death. My late father was poisoned to death by his brothers because of land dispute wealth, after the ceremonial burial of my late father, my Uncles pushes us out from our matrimonial home with my mother, after taking everything from us, my late mother become frustrated because of the situation we are facing, and she died last 3 months ago after suffered heart attack and kidney surgical operation. When she was on hospital bed before her painful death, she advised me to seek for a foreign assistance who will help me to receive this money for investment, and for me and my younger sister to move out of this country because of the nearest of my late father brothers,

I am writing you in absolute confidence primarily to seek your assistance to transfer our inheritance cash of Eighteen Million, Three Hundred thousand Dollars ( $18,300,000 Million Dollars ) which is still right now in the custody of a bank here in Ivory Coast, and nobody is aware of this money except the bank, please because of my under age I am seeking your kind assistance to help me transfer the money into your account for investment in your country, you will help us as well to come over and meet you for the investment purpose which I will highly need your full assistance to direct me with your good advice, as I believe that you can help me.

I will be very happy if you can be willing to help me Accomplish this plan as I have decided to invest in your country and to move out from here because of the nearest of my Uncles who are after my life and come to your country to resettle for this investment plan and for our security of better future and also to further our education while you will be managing the business on our behalf unstill I stand well in your country to handle the business. So please kindly indicate your interest while I will appreciate to feed you with more information on your response to help me. For your assistance I will offer you 30% of the total money for your kindness. If interested to help please get back to me for more information's.

Anxiously waiting for your interesting reply!
Best Regards.
Austin Brendan.

Anti-fraud resources: