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: MRS BROWN <mrs-browno461@msn.com>
Reply-To: mrsmargaret_brown01@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 14:55:48 +0000
Subject: GUMA BUILDING LAMINA SANKOH STREET FREETOW 407, BULGARIE.

GUMA BUILDING LAMINA SANKOH STREET FREETOW 407, BULGARIE.
 
 
Greetings,
 
Note; due to poor internet connectivity in my position, you may receive this email in your SPAM folder, kindly forward this letter into your INBOX folder before responding back to me. I am indeed glad to be in contact with you even though this medium of communication (internet) has been grossly abused by criminal minded people making it difficult for people with genuine project to correspond and exchange views without scepticism.
 
With due respect. I am Mrs.Margaret Brown, my husband worked with an oil refinery Patroness in Japan for 29 years before his sudden death on 11 March 2011 you can read more news about the Japan Crisis Tsunami by visiting this website;http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/massive_earthquake_hits_japan.html
 
He deposited the sum of £ 8,500,000.00 GBP with a Bank in United Kingdom, The Fund Was Meant to Use and Open a Textile Company before the Japan Crisis Tsunami, and named me his wife as the beneficiary of this trust fund now the Bank just wrote me about moving the fund to my personal account. Presently, I'm in a specialist hospital in (Burkina Faso) now where I have been undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer. I have since lost my ability to talk, and my doctors have told me that I have only few months to live. My husband's families want me dead to acquire this wealth. I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them as they are unbelievers.
 
So I am divinely touched to offer my fortune to less privilege through you for charity work as I cannot come over due to my health condition. Therefore I have portioned 30% of the total money for your personal use while 70% of the money will go to the charity work. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the address of the bank and my late husband account manager in the same bank that will assist you in releasing of the money to you for the charity work. But I only wished to have assurance that you will utilize the money as I have instructed herein. This is my last wish, I grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family member therefore I would not like any thing to jeopardize the charity project as my last wish.
 
Hoping to receive your reply.
Sincerely Yours.
Mrs.Margaret Brown.

Anti-fraud resources: