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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: Sarah Ferguson <sarahferguson46@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:28:03 +0100 (BST)
Subject: My Dearest.




My Dearest.
Good day,may the blessings of God be upon you and grant you the wisdom and sympathy to understand my situation and how much I need your help. After going through your profile,l was convinced that you are reputable and a trust worthy person who can help me.

I am contacting you with tears hoping that you will be of great assistance to me. My name is Miss Sarah Ferguson, 20 years old from Cote D'Ivoire in West Africa. My father was a very successful cocoa merchant in our country Cote d'Ivoire before the recent political crisis in our country.
My father and i escaped from our country at the heat of the political crisis in my country after loosing my mother and two of my younger sisters in the political crisis.
 
Recently, my father was poisoned to death in Bouake, a northern city of Cote d'Ivoire where he went with my uncle to negotiate for the purchase of a cocoa plantation. The death of my father has now made me an orphan and there by exposing me to danger.

Before his unfortunate death in one of the hospital there in Bouake, he secretly called me on his bed side and told me as his only surviving Daughter, that he deposited in one of the prominent bank here in our country the sum of $4.5 million US Dollars.

I am requesting for your assistance to transfer the $4.5 million US Dollars for business investments in your country.

Again to assist me with a letter of invitation that will make me get a visa to your country for residence in order for me to continue my education under your care and you will invest the money in a valuable business venture in your country.

I am willing to give you 20% of the money while 80% will be for investment. I will appreciate it if you respond to me as soon as you received my e-mail so that we can discuss further on this matter.

Thanks
Sarah

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