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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: "EVANG. CHARLES APPIAH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <evangappiah.ccsecc@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 07:21:11 -0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED PLEASE!!!

ATTENTION PLEASE!
I'M SORRY FOR ENCROACHING ON YOUR PRIVACY IN THIS MANNER. PLEASE PERMIT ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU, MY NAMES IS MR. CHARLES APPIAH. I AM AN ACCOUNT OFFICER IN MY BANK, I CONTACTED YOU IN RESPECT TO A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF INHERITANCE FUND, THE SUM OF $19,500,000.00 (NINETEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAR) BEING DEPOSITED BY MY LATE CLIENT. I WAS ABLE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DECEASED BECAUSE DURING THE PERIOD HE WAS INTO GOLD BUSINESS HERE IN GHANA, HE MADE ME HIS CLOSEST FRIEND IN OUR BANK WHICH GRANT ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 2004.
 
I WAS AHMAD SAAD SALEM'S ACCOUNT OFFICER IN ONE OF HIS FIXED DEPOSIT ACCOUNT BEFORE HIS DEATH, THE SAID AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS DEPOSITED IN THE YEAR 2002 TO BE MATURED IN TEN YEARS INTERVAL WHICH WAS LAST YEAR 2012, HE DEPOSITED THE MONEY WITHOUT ANY NEXT OF KIN NAMED BECAUSE AS AT THAT TIME HE HAS NOT MARRIED NOR HAVE ANY CHILD(REN) TILL THE DAY HE PASSED AWAY, I WAS AWARE OF HIS SUDDEN DEATH BEFORE OUR BRANCH MANAGER WAS TRANSFERRED TO A DIFFERENT  BRANCH THAT MADE HIM NOT TO BE AWARE OF HIS DEATH, SO I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO KNOWS ABOUT HIS DEATH AND THE ACCOUNT PRIVACY BECAUSE OF OUR CLOSENESS AS THE ACCOUNT OFFICER, BUT I REFUSE TO TELL ANYBODY ABOUT IT BECAUSE I KNOW IF I DO THE FUND WILL AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES THE GOVERNMENT FUND, BUT AS THE ACCOUNT OFFICER TO THE DECEASED OUR MANAGER HAVE ORDERED ME TO INFORM AHMAD SAAD SALEM THAT THE MATURED PERIOD FOR THE DEPOSITED FUND TO BE WITHDRAW HAVE BEEN OVER, BUT HE IS NO MORE TO CLAIM BACK HIS FUND.
 
I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE THAT CAN HANDLE THIS DEAL AND I AM LUCKY TO MEET YOU HERE, NOW THAT I HAVE FOUND YOU IT WILL MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR ME TO FRONT/PRESENT YOU AS THE HEIR TO THE FUND, AND BE REST ASSURED OF 50% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THIS TRANSACTION IF ONLY YOU CAN VOLUNTEER YOURSELF AS THE HEIR TO THE DECEASED FUND SO THAT THE BANK WILL TRANSFER THE MONEY INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY WITHOUT ANY OBSTRUCTION.
 
PLEASE I NEED HIGH CONFIDENTIALITY IN THIS DEAL BECAUSE OF THE RISK IN MY JOB, SO DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO KNOW THAT I AM INVOLVE IN THIS DEAL, I CAN ONLY PRESENT YOU AS THE HEIR TO THE FUND AND I WILL GUIDE YOU TO ENABLE YOU CLAIM THE FUND WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.
 
IF YOU ARE CAPABLE TO HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION, KINDLY GET BACK TO ME ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL (evangappiah.ccsecc@gmail.com) ME FOR MORE DISCUSSION.
 
KIND REGARD,
MR. CHARLES APPIAH

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