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: "From: Mrs. Bridget Hills & Francis Hills \(Son\)" <hillsfrancis24@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hillfrancisbrigeth03@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:21:01 -0800 (PST)
Subject: FROM: MR. JOHNSON ADAMS (F.C.F.I.I) UK OPENS THE ATTACHMENTS.

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Anti-fraud resources: