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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: steve mathew <stevemathew285@msn.com>
Reply-To: <steve.mathew37@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2012 20:28:12 +0000
Subject: Dear friend



Dear friend.
I would like you to help me in receiving this fund into your bank account,however. It's just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me contactyou for this transaction. I am the manager of bill and exchange foreignremittance department of HSBC Bank here in Malaysia. In my department wediscovered an abandoned sum of (U.S. $ 4.2 million dollars) in an accountthat belongs to one of our foreign customers is a reactors in France (Mr.Paul Louis in Paris France) who died along with his entire family in July2003 in a plane crash on way to France.
I fear that if the money stays in our bank without claim for a long periodof time, our government will intervene, because the banking laws here doesnot allow such a huge amount of money to remain idle for more than eightyears. And get this money into your bank account within 10 or 14 days.
Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remainedunclaimed after eight years a higher level, the money is transferred intothe Bank treasury as unclaimed funds. I agree that 30% of this money willbe for you as foreign partner in respect to the provision of a foreignaccount, and while 70% would be for me.
If you agree with my business proposal, further details of the transferwill be sent to you as soon as you receive your return mail. Be sure tokeep this transaction as top secret and make it confidential until wereceive the funds in the account to be provided to the Bank. Do notdisclose to any body, because the secret of this operation and success ofit, have a great day.
I need the following information: -1. Your full name:
2. Age:
3. Address:
4. Telephone:
5. Occupation

Please reply me immediatelyYours sincerely,
Mr.Steve mathew

Anti-fraud resources: