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: "Abrahem McArthur" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ab.mcarthur@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:13:32 -0800
Subject: Re: Relationship

CONTACT ME FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP !!!
 
Dear Friend,
 
My name is Rapheal James; I am 37 years old, from Pretoria -South Africa, where I am schooling and work as a fashion designer for part time job after my school. I am the only Son of my parents my father died on a fatal Robbery attacked on his way to work, and mother died long ago.
 
Before the death of my father, he had willed part of his Real Estate Business, Gas Stations and a total sum of $18,5m (Eighteen Million,Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) to me. After the death of my both parents, things became hard for me, paying my school fees, putting food on the table and taking care of my other needs with my fashion designer work which I do as a part time work after my school, I went to the bank where my late father deposited the fund on my behalf to with-draw money in
other to take care of my self and pay for my school fees with other bills.
 
I was shocked when the Bank Manager explained to me that I will not be able to with-draw from the deposited money, because my father had put a clause on the Will, which he used in depositing the fund with them, saying that before I will be given access to the money, I will either have to be 40 years old , in which case, my partner will be legible to claim the money on my behalf by standing in as my late fathers next of kin to claim the deposited fund on my behalf.
 
Today I am only 37 years old. And I have no access to the money till I'm 40 years. So, I’m contacting you to stand as my partner to claim this fund on my behalf, you can still help me by standing in as my late father’s next of kin to the deposited fund. So,please get back to me as to know how you will be remunerated as I will part with 25% of the total sum $18.5M (Eighteen  Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars),while 10% will be mapped out for any expenses that we're to use to receive the
money from the deposited Bank.
 
Please remember that I am writing you this email purely on the ground of trust so we can achieve this goal together. According to what the bank told me, this transaction will last for two weeks after you get back to me on how serious you are to claim this fund on my behalf.
 
Yours Truly,
 
Abrahem McArthur
E-mail: a.mcarthur@safrica.com
 

Anti-fraud resources: