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. Susan Douglas" <mmakalele@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: susan.douglas1@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2012 21:54:40 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: BENEFICIAL ASSISTANCE




Dear friend,

 

I know that this
letter may be a very big surprise to you, I came across your profile from my
personal search and I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish
before I will die.

 

My name is Mrs. Susan
Douglas from London; i am deaf and suffering from a long time cancer of the
brain. From all indications my condition is really deteriorating and my doctors
have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two months; this
is because the cancer has reached a critical stage.

 

I was brought up in a
motherless baby's home and was married to my late husband for twenty years
without a child but quite unfortunately he died in a fatal motor accident.
Since his death I decided not to re-marry. I sold all my inherited belongings
and the fund I made when I was heavily importing cocoa to Europe and deposited
the sum of $3.6million dollars with a financial institution. Presently, this
money is still in their custody and the management just wrote me as the
Legitimate beneficiary to come and receive the money after keeping it for so
long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my
behalf since I cannot come over as a result of my illness or they get it confiscated.

 

Presently, I'm with
my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since
lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few
months to live.

 

It is my last wish to
see that this money is invested in any organization of your choice and
distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the
motherless baby's home. I want a good humanitarian to also use this money to
fund orphanages and widows around. I must let you know that this was a very
hard decision but I have to take a bold step towards this issue because I have
no further option. I hope you will help see my last wishes come through.

 

As soon as I receive
your reply I shall give you the contact of the financial institution and I will
also issue you a letter of authority which will prove that you are the new
beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I
stated herein. Hope to hear from you soonest.

 

Awaiting your urgent
reply.

 

 

Yours beloved sister,

Susan Douglas.

 

 

 

 

 


Anti-fraud resources: