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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: "Mallam Adamu Ladan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ladan_mallam@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2012 08:59:43 -0000
Subject: your message

Mallam Adamu Ladan
205 Garki Road ,
Area 7, Abuja , Nigeria
 
For your kind attention,
 
I am Mallam Adamu Ladan,I am writing you based on the trust and confidence I have in you and I hope that you will not betray my trust in you. I have with me the sum of US$65.8M (Sixty Five Million, Eight hundred thousand United States Dollars) cash which I deposited with a Trust/Security Company in Switzerland . I made this money from the sales of Crude Oil Allocated to an American Company based in Miami , United State of America when my brother Alhaji Shehu Ladan was in charge of the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
 
However, when the news came to me that my brother is going to be probed because of this crude oil sale which he allocated to me to be sold, I quickly deposited the money with a foreign based security company which I later advised them to transfer it to any offshore account for safety.
 
The newly installed President Goodluck Jonathan, he ordered that my brother's Bank Accounts in Nigeria , Europe and America be frozen while his buildings and other assets were all seized by the Nigerian Government.
 
In view of the fact that we are bearing the same last name (Ladan)I would not want to use my name to collect the money with the Security Company rather will prefer to use your name or company’s name as the beneficiary, It will be as if I am paying you for goods you supplied (sold) to me just to divert the attention of some people so that when we meet in your country, you can open an account where the money will be paid into for further transfer into an agreed nominated bank account in your favor for our mutual benefit.
 
I am prepared to compensate you with a reasonable amount based on your performance in this transaction and when it is finally paid into your bank account, I will move down to your country for the sharing of the money. If you will really help me, please reply and tell me what percentage you would want me to offer you as your commission.
 
From my own share of the money, I have decided to use part of it to buy buildings, import computers, cars and explore other area of long term business ventures in your country which you will be my partner and adviser.
 
Looking forward to your prompt response.
 
Yours faithfully,
Mallam Adamu Ladan

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