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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: "Kofi Anthony" <kofianthony89@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: kofianthony29@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:57:05 +0200
Subject: Private Message 18/01/2013




From: The Manager,
International
Commercial Bank
Ghana
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana.
Tell;+233 245692239

Dearest One,

I got your contact
during my search
for a reliable,
trust worthy and
honest person.

My name is Mr.
Kofi Anthony. I am
the manager of the
International
Commercial Bank
Ghana, First Light
Branch Accra. I am
a Ghanaian married
with two kids.

I am writing to
solicit your
assistance in the
noble transfer of
Two Million Five
hundred Thousand
United States
Dollars This fund
is the excess of
what my branch in
which I am the
manager made as
profit during the
year 2010 I have
already submitted
an approved End of
the last Year
financial report
for the last year
2011 to my Head
Office here in
Accra and they
will never know of
this Excess.

I have since then,
placed this amount
of (Two Million
Five hundred
Thousand United
States Dollars) on
a SUSPENSE ACCOUNT
without a
beneficiary.As an
officer of the
bank, I cannot be
directly connected
to this money thus
I am impelled to
request for your
assistance to
receive this money
into your bank
account. I intend
to part 30% of
this fund to you
while 70% shall be
for me.

I do need to
stress that there
are practically no
risk involved in
this. It is going
to be a
bank-to-bank
transfer to your
nominated bank
account anywhere
you feel safer.All
I need from you is
to stand as the
original depositor
of this fund.

If you accept this
offer, I will
appreciate your
timely
response.With
kofianthony29@gmail.com

Also this matter
should be a
confidential
between you and me
and please delete
it if you are not
interested.

Thank you for your
anticipated
co-operation.

With regards

Kofi Anthony.

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