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: Margaret Helbig <grgftk488@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <grgftk488@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:36:45 -0700
Subject: GOOD DAY BELOVED



--
GOOD DAY BELOVED,

IT IS WITH TEARS THAT I AM WRITING THIS MESSAGE TO YOU FROM A HOSPITAL
BED;

I AM MRS MARGARET HELBIG. A WIDOW TO LATE MR. PETER HELBIG, WHO WORKED
WITH ELF PETROLEUM COMPANY IN NIGERIA FOR NINE YEARS BEFORE HE DIED IN
THE
YEAR 2008. WE WERE MARRIED FOR ELEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A CHILD. HE DIED
AFTER
A BRIEF ILLNESS THAT LASTED FOR ONLY FOUR DAYS.

BEFORE HIS DEATH WE WERE BOTH BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN. SINCE HIS DEATH I
DECIDED NOT TO RE-MARRY OR GET A CHILD OUTSIDE MY MATRIMONIAL HOME
WHICH
THE BIBLE IS AGAINST. WHEN MY LATE HUSBAND WAS ALIVE HE DEPOSITED THE
SUM
OF $7.5 MILLION WITH A BANK IN NIGERIA. PRESENTLY THIS MONEY IS STILL
IN
THE CUSTODY OF THE BANK IN NIGERIA.

RECENTLY, MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NOT LAST FOR THE NEXT EIGHT
MONTHS DUE TO CANCER PROBLEM, BUT I KNOW THAT MY DOCTOR IS NOT GOD.
HAVING
KNOWN MY CONDITION I DECIDED TO DONATE THIS FUND TO A CHURCH,
ORGANIZATION
OR GOOD PERSON THAT WILL UTILIZE THIS MONEY THE WAY I AM GOING TO
INSTRUCT
HEREIN. I WANT A CHURCH, ORGANIZATION OR GOOD PERSON THAT WILL USE THIS
FUND FOR ORPHANAGES, WIDOWS AND OTHER PEOPLES THAT NEED HELP AND ALSO
PROPAGATING THE WORD OF GOD AND TO ENDEAVORS THAT THE HOUSE OF GOD IS
MAINTAINED.

THE BIBLE MADE US TO UNDERSTAND THAT "BLESSED IS THE HAND THAT GIVETH "
I
TOOK THIS DECISION BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY CHILD THAT WILL INHERIT
THIS
MONEY AND MY HUSBAND RELATIVES ARE NOT CHRISTIANS NOT EVEN GOOD AT ALL
BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF MY
HUSBAND
IN OTHER TO HAVE ALL MY LATE HUSBAND PROPERTIES AND I DON'T WANT MY
HUSBAND'S EFFORT TO BE USED BY THOSE THAT CONSPIRED FOR HIS DEATH OR
FOR
UNGODLY THINGS.

THIS IS WHY I AM TAKING THIS DECISION, I AM NOT AFRAID OF DEATH HENCE I
KNOW WHERE I AM GOING. I KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO BE IN THE BOSOMS OF
THE
LORD. EXODUS 14 VS 14 SAYS THAT "THE LORD WILL FIGHT MY CASE AND I
SHALL
HOLD MY PEACE". I DON'T NEED ANY TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION IN THIS REGARD
BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH HENCE THE PRESENCES OF MY HUSBAND'S RELATIVES ARE
AROUND ME ALWAYS. I DON'T WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT AND
I
KNOW THAT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THOSE

WHO TRUST IN HIM AND TO THOSE WHO WORK BY FAITH. AS SOON AS I RECEIVED
YOUR REPLY I SHALL GIVE YOU THE CONTACT OF THE BANK IN NIGERIA .I WILL
ALSO
ISSUE A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION TO THE BANK THAT WILL PROVE YOU THE
PRESENT
BENEFICIARY OF THIS MONEY. I ALSO WANT YOU, CHURCH OR ORGANIZATION TO
ALWAYS PRAY FOR ME BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY ONLY SHEPHERD. MY HAPPINESS
IS
THAT I LIVED A LIFE OF A WORTHY CHRISTIAN. WHOEVER THAT WANTS TO SERVE
THE
LORD MUST SERVE HIM IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. PLEASE ALWAYS BE PRAYERFUL
THROUGH
YOUR LIFE.

AND ANY DELAY IN YOUR REPLY WILL GIVE ME ROOM IN SOURCING ANOTHER GOOD
PERSON, CHURCH OR ORGANIZATION FOR THIS SAME PURPOSE. PLEASE ASSURE ME
THAT
YOU WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY AS I STATED HEREIN. HOPING TO RECEIVE YOUR
RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY,

THANKS AND REMAIN BLESSED IN THE LORD.

I REMAIN YOURS SISTER IN CHRIST.

MRS.MARGARET HELBIG.

Anti-fraud resources: