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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Koudou M.G." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <koudoumg51@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:23:49 -0700
Subject: I wait your reply

Hello my Friend,
 
I am Koudou M. Gbagbo, Son of former president Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire. I am presently in distress and needed your urgent assistance to retrieve and invest US$22.7 Million Dollars, which my father deposited in a Bank with my name as the sole beneficiary before he was arrested and detained by the opposition forces. He lost the election to his rival and refused to step down from power resisting all international pressures and warnings.  He intended using that money for purchasing of war Equipments to fight previous political civil war in my country, but I escaped with the covering document and take refuge outside my our home because he was planning to share innocent blood. My religion is against that.
 
Now the present government has frozen all my family accounts and auctioned all our properties. Hence I decided to contact you to assist me invest the money in any suitable business investment in your country, to save myself from total bankruptcy. Conclusively, you shall take 38% of the total sum for your assistance and partnership, after which I shall come over to meet with you.  Please if interested get back to me for more details and to enable us proceed. You can read my father’s story on : http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/11/ivory-coast-former-leader-arrested or http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/12/qa-laurent-gbagbo-and-international-criminal-court
 
I look forward to your earliest reply.
 
Yours Sincerely
 
Koudou M.Gbagbo.
 

Anti-fraud resources: