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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: "william mills" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <willian_mills1@globomail.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2013 10:14:00 -0000
Subject: PLEASE GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

FROM THE DESK OF
MR.WILLIAN MILLS
122/124-AKIYODE STREET
TAKORADI-GHANA.

DEAR FRIEND,

MY NAME IS MR.WILLIAN MILLS; I AM THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF A BANK, TAKORADI
BRANCH IN THE WESTERN REGION OF GHANA. I GOT YOUR INFORMATION ON A RECENT
BANK CONFERENCE WITH OTHER WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES HELD IN LOME THE CAPITAL
CITY OF TOGO IN WEST AFRICA.

I WRITE YOU THIS PROPOSAL IN GOOD FAITH, I AM 56 YEAR OLD MARRIED WITH TWO
LOVELY KIDS. I HAVE PACKAGED A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU
AND I,AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF A BANK IT IS MY DUTY TO SEND IN A
FINANCIAL REPORT TO MY HEAD OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY ACCRA AT THE END OF
EACH BUSINESS YEAR.

ON THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR 2012 FINANCIAL BUSINESS REPORT, I
DISCOVERED THAT MY BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THE MANAGER MADE TEN MILLION SIX
HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND US DOLLARS($10,680,000.00) WHICH MY HEAD OFFICE
ARE NOT AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF.

I HAVE PLACED THIS FUNDS ON WHAT WE CALL ESCROW CALL ACCOUNT WITH NO
BENEFICIARY. AS AN OFFICER OF THIS BANK I CANNOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO
THIS MONEY, SO MY AIM OF CONTACTING YOU IS TO ASSIST ME RECEIVE THIS MONEY
IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND GET 30% OF THE TOTAL AS COMMISSION.

THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO RISK INVOLVED, IT WILL BE A BANK TO BANK
TRANSFER, AND ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND CLAIM AS THE ORIGINAL
DEPOSITOR OF THESE FUNDS WHO MADE THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO THAT MY
HEAD OFFICE CAN ORDER THE TRANSFER TO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT. IF YOU
ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME I WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. WRITE ME IF YOU
THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER THE DETAILS.

THANKS YOU IN ADVANCE AND MAY GOD BLESS
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
YOURS TRULY,
MR. WILLIAN MILLS.

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