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: "Farhat Omar Bengdara." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <farhatomarbengdara266@secretarias.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:45:02 -0400
Subject: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE!!!

My Dear Brother/Sister,
 
I am writing this email to you in all honesty and believing that you are conversant of the happenings in my home country Libya. My name is Farhat Omar Bengdara and during the period of 2006-2011, I acted as the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya. I was manipulated to oversee many heists, false contract payments and money laundering activities under the dictatorship of Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi who is the leader of the Libyan people. I had to defect to Turkey during the Libyan Civil War earlier this month because of the uprising caused by the Rebels and the fact that I believed in what they stood for. You can confirm most of this information by searching my name (Farhat Omar Bengdara) on Google.com.
 
The reason I am contacting you right now is because I know for fact that Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi is going down for his crimes against humanity and I would not like for him to go down a martyr but a criminal that he is. My exile cannot make me do a lot of things in Libya but as a foreign national, I know you can help me right now.
 
My family is in extreme need and due to my involvement in a lot of things over the years; I have come to be in the possession of about Fifty Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$50,500,000.00) which I siphoned from the Gaddafi regime. I gave a statement in exile concerning this fund and you can see this on:
 
http://video.ft.com/v/946393675001/Libyan-cash-may-be-hidden-in-desert
 
I was compelled to say all this because I knew that the US Government, The UK Government, The French Government and the World Bank would be interested in getting their hands on this money for their personal gain. As I speak, this money is in a Banker’s Acceptance International Domiciliary Account in Central Bank of Swaziland and I am ready to move this money with your help to any part of the world. Note that I have a security entrapment on this money so if you tend to report me to any department due to doubt, this money will move to about 3 continents before it can be reached.
 
I am asking your assistance here. If you aid me with this, I will be more than glad to split this money with you. The sharing mode will be 60% for me, 30% for you and 10% for any miscellaneous payments that may occur in the course of this transaction. I cannot give you a direct cell phone to call me right now because of my exile and the fact that I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong note but if you give me you direct telephone number to indicate your acceptance of this, I will give you a call.
 
Get back to me only if you are interested. I wait to hear from you.
 
Thanks
Farhat Omar Bengdara.

Anti-fraud resources: