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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: Micheal Lee <micheallee111@live.com>
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:47:40 +0530
Subject: Good Day



Dear Friend,

I apologize for this unsolicited mail to you. I am aware that this is
certainly an unconventional approach to establishing a relationship
with you, but you will realize the need for my letter to you.
Meanwhile, I got your email contact and information from a research
which I made from on-line email directory.


As a matter of urgency I want you to come to my assistance, my names
are Michael Lee while My late father name is Mr. Johnson Lee a
Zimbabwe farmer since 1967 after the colonial rule, died of a heart
attack at the age of 73 at a South Africa private clinic and most of
my father?s investments are situated mainly in South Africa and mostly
in Gold Trading.


Three weeks before my father?s trip to the hospital in South Africa
that leads to his death, he drew my attention to the sum of
(US$40,500.000 00) Forty million five hundred thousand United States
dollars worth of gold which he deposited with a private storage and
Security Company in South Africa, during one of his official trips .


This consignment was registered as family valuables and precious
stones for safe keeping in case of his absence on earth caused by
death. He asked me to solicit for a reliable foreign partner to assist
me in claiming the consignment and selling of the gold for investment
abroad.


However, I decided to solicit for your assistance on this transaction
mentioned above because this is the only fortune left for me and my
siblings to start up our lives. My siblings and I left our country
Zimbabwe to South Africa.


We are presently staying in a private guest house in South Africa as
asylum seekers.

Attached here is a copy of a scanned box of Gold at the private
storage and Security Company in South Africa.


Please I would appreciate you furnish me with your private telephone
/Fax numbers for easy communication, we are offering you 30% of the
total fund for your efforts while the remaining 70% will be for my
family future investment under your supervision. We look forward to
your kind assistance as you expedite action immediately with utmost
confidentiality.

Best regards.

Michael Lee.

Anti-fraud resources: