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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: Rev Good maharad <rev.goodmaharad@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 19:38:55 +0700
Subject: Rough Diamond

Dear Friend

I got your email online and i think you are the best ideal person i can
deal with i must apologize for barging this message into your mail box
without any formal full introduction due to the urgency and the
confidential of this issue and i know that this email will come to you in a
surprise . Please this is not joke or head game and i will not want you to
joke with it. This is just a blessing or opportunity any one could pray for
in a life time .

My name is Mrs. Kahlida Maharad, an Indian citizen, writing on
behalf of my husband, Mr. Maharad Ahmed. We were both based in Tripoli,
Libiya for the past 15 years, but due to the current turn off political
events, we have both had to flee separately. My husband's where about are
unknown, and whether he is alive or not is also undisclosed. During our
years there, we have acquired investments through our construction
businesses and have many assets including gold, properties and now
dysfunction projects.


We were protected under Gaddhafi's rule, but now we have been targeted by
the National Transition Council and all recordable assets have been either
seized or frozen. Our businesses were legitimate, but because of our
relationship with the government sector and ministry of finance, we have
been targeted with no real reason other than our success under this regime.

We do have funds in an offshore account, which has been undetected and is
not able to be seized by the NTC. However, it is also unable to be
accessed by either myself or my husband due to security reasons. My lawyer
has advised me to find a suitable person to transfer these funds into their
name, of which they will then be compensated handsomely for doing so. This
is not an illegal act and is often done in such situations. I understand
the lack of real information of this email, but due to so many scams and
identity theft via the internet, I have decided to keep most information
until I am in personal contact with you and for your own safety you can
double check everything by traveling to the place to confirm all things are
for real as i have mentioned .

I am only asking for your help or even your advice on this matter. I am
not wanting anything from you and you are only to gain from being in
contact with me further. I am unable to trust anybody close to me and so
am taking this extreme chance that you may accept to help me in anyway.
Please if you are interested in helping me, reply with your contact
details so that I may be able to talk to you in confidence.

I hope you are willing to hear my plight and aid me with this request. I
am desperate and am looking for any avenue to save these funds, as that is
all we have left. I await your response

Yours sincerely

Mrs Kahlida

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