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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: "Mr. Ibrahim Yassa"<web.office.133454@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <ibyassa54@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:46:29 -0700
Subject: Your Reply/Call Me On Tel: +234-7031-857-160

Plot 14 Bp 1210 Islands
Nigeria.
E-mail: ibyassa54@gmail.com
Call Me On Tel: +234-7031-857-160.
Hello Friend,
 
Greetings!
I am Dr.Robert Weeks, Working as director  in the department of Fund Released Order. I know the letter might come to you as a surprise, but the fact that I do not know you from Adam, and yet decided to make this proposal to you shows that I have faith in you and your ability to deliver. A contractor executed a contract through Federal Ministry of Works & Housing (FMWH) here, the contract worth of (US$10.500M) but on the process of transferring the money to him, he died with his family in earthquake disaster that occurred in Bam, South eastern city of Iran.
 
Please for you to be convinced, you try and verify from  this report track (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ talking_point/3350195.stm).
Meanwhile, his money has been approved for payment in my office awaiting for me to give order for the final endorsement of the release of his money. Nobody from my ministry or out side my ministry knows my contact with you and they will never know until the transaction is successfully completed. I will send to you the whole relevant information that is required of you to know in this transaction immediately you accept to co-operate with me. I shall be  presenting you to the ministry/bank here as  the late beneficiary's next of kin/business associate to this fund, since we have been unsuccessful in locating any of his relatives, so that the balance of his contract sum  valued at US$10.500M dollars will be processed and paid to you and then both of us will inherit/share the money.
1. Your complete names/address,
2. Private phone numbers.
3. Your Identification ID
 
I will communicate my data to you as soon as I read from you.
 
I want both of us to agree that 5% of the US$10.5M should be set aside to help the less privillaged while another 5% will be to take care of any expenses we might incur in the process of getting this business completed. This was done as a result of my understanding and my experience of working in the finance department. So, what this means is that, whatever you and I spend including our phone call bills towards this business, shall be refunded back to each other from the 5% set aside for expenses before the sharing of the capital money.
Yours truly,
Mr.Ibrahim Yassa..

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