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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: fred.mane1@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 23:07:40 -1200
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE


From- Fred Mane
 
 PLOT 102 RUE 12 KOUMASSI 32 ABIDJAN COTE D'IVOIRE
 
 Dear Respectful one,
 
It is my pleasure to write you after much consideration since I can not be able to see you face to at first. I am Fred Mane, The only son of my father, late MR Desmond Mane from Republic of Sudan ; I am 23 years of age. My father was a wealthy Cocoa and Gold merchant in our country  before his untimely death. After his business trip to Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire , to negotiate on a Cocoa business. A week after he came back from Abidjan , he was assassinated with my mother by unknown assassins. Which my mother died instantly but my father died after five days in hospitals, on that faithful afternoon. I didn’t know that my father was going to leave me after I had lost my mother. But before he gave up the ghost, it was if knew he was going to die. He my father, (MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE) he disclose to me that he deposited ( 25 kg of ALLUVIAL GOLD DUST) and the sum of $2,500,000 US Dollars (TWO MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS) in a security company in Ab
idjan , Côte d’Ivoire .
 
That the money was meant for his cocoa business he wanted to invest in Abidjan , Côte d’Ivoire . Though according to my father he deposited the money in a trunk box, but declared it as family belongings. He simple handed me the key of box and the certificate of deposit and the agreement made with Security Company, and instructed me to seek for a life time investment abroad. Right Now I am in Abidjan COTE D' IVOIRE to locate where the security company is and I have succeeded in locating the security company here in Abidjan , Côte d’Ivoire and also confirmed the item with most honest and confidential. I want you to assist me in clearing this fund and transfer into your account overseas as a beneficiary of the fund, and also use it for an investment purpose. I am honourably seeking for your assistance in the following ways.
 
(1)To assist me to clear this fund from the security company and transfer to your account successfully.
 
(2) To provide a bank account into which this money would be transfer to.
 
(3)To serve as the guardian of this fund since I am a Boy of (23) yrs. Now I am soliciting for your assistance to help it in lift this money in your country, because this is my only hope in life.
 
 Waiting anxiously to hear from you so that we can discuss the modalities of this transaction. Please if this proposal is acceptable, please email back without any delay.

Thanks for your kind attention and mutual understanding.
 
Looking forward to hear from you immediately.
 
Best Regards
Fred Mane
 
 

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