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: mariam gijado <mariamgolden@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:30:21 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Beloved,


Good day beloved,

I am very sorry for this unsolicited intrusion
into your private live suddenly like this. Please try to excuse me it is
because of the urgency of my situation here. I am Miss Mariam Fatu Abdullah.
My late father was a businessman in mining operations and was
assassinated october 2010 by the rebels following the political uprising
in my country. Before his death he deposited the sum of $8.5M which he
kept for the importation of processing and industrial machine.

Since
the death of my father, my uncle who is his half brother on the father
side has claimed all what my late father has left behind. He is so
wicked to the extent that I could see clearly that he wants me dead by
all means so that nobody will ever come for my late father properties
that he has seized and claimed in future. However, of recent he got to
know that I hold the document to the deposit of funds left by my father
and he confronted me to hand over the document to which I refused. I
have been forced to ran out of the family house now for fear of being
harm by him and his men. I am now staying with a friend but I dare not
reveal my secret for fear to my life.

Secondly, those who are
opposed to the party which my father belongs are also posing a danerous
party to me because anybody that is not in their party is sen as their
enemies. That is all the more reason I have cried out to you for
assistance.
Please this fund is my only hope of survival now in this
world, I want you to do me a fevour to receive this funds to a safe
place in your country or any safer place as the beneficiary.
I
have plans to do investment in your country, like Real Estate and any
other investment which you think might be profitable for me.  I want you
to take it as a personal task to assist  me from my ordeal. This is my
reason for writing you. Please if you could assist me I will forever be
grateful to you forever.

Thanks and stay well.
Awaiting your positive response
Yours sincerely,
Miss Mariam Fatu.

Anti-fraud resources: