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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: irina james <irinajames@adinet.com.uy>
Reply-To: irrinajames@hotmail.fr
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 06:14:37 -0300 (UYT)
Subject: Read and reply,

>From Irina James.
Here in Abidjan,
Cote d'Ivoire

Dear,

Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with
you. I am quite aware that my message will come to you as a surprise because it
is indeed very strange for someone you have not met before to contact you in
this regard. I am writing to seek your partnership in the investment of my
inheritance fund(SD$9.5Million ) from my late father who died mysteriously on
12 july 2007 It was very evident that he was poisoned to death. In my culture,
when a man dies, if he does not have a male child, the brothers shares his
property leaving both the wife and the daughters empty handed including the
house they live in. This is the exact case with me as I am the only daughter of
my father.

I lost my mother when I was barely a year old and my father refused to re-marry
another wife because he felt solely responsible for my mother's death. This is
so because he concentrated much on his businesses that he rarely pays attention
to domestic affairs.

He was always travelling taking care of his businesses that he did not notice
when my mother took ill. He thought it was a minor illness and was ignorant of
this. My mother on her own resorted to self-medication.It was not until the
illness degenerated that my father took my mother to hospital where she was
diagnosed to find out that hypatitis had eaten deep into her blood stream. She
didn't last long before she died. This happened when I was barely a year old.
Based on this, my father could not forgive himself easily because of it and
said he was responsible for her death as he could have saved her if only he had
paid attention to the things at home rather than concentrating much on his
business. Despite all entreaties by friends.

and relatives, he refused to remarry but ensured that I had everything that I
wanted. It was as a result of this that he made me the next of kin to his fund
deposit with the security company as family valuables and treasure for safe
keeping and stated that in the event of any eventuality, I should have a direct
access to the trunk box containing the fund,only when I am 25 years of age
otherwise, I should have a guardian/partner intercede on my behalf for the
release of the trunk box to me. Unfortunately, he died on 12 july 2007 and I am
21 years of age currently.

This is why I have contacted you to serve as a guardian to me and as my foreign
partner for the investment of my inheritance fund overseas My uncles does not
know about the fund because they had already taken my father's houses and other
properties because I am a girl and they said I do not have rights for any
property. They have requested to have my father's file where all the documents
that proof the existence of my inheritance trunk box in the security company
where kept but I simply told them that I do not know where he kept them.

The younger brother took the house in the village while the houses in the town
were sold out they shared the proceed they got from the sale. Right now, I am
with a friend of mine and do sincerely want to travel out of my country. This
can only happen when I have secured the release and transfer of my inheritance
trunk box in the security company. This why it is important that we have a plan
on the type of lucrative business that we can invest the funds on.

I had at various times had discussions with the operation director of
international remittance unit of the security company where my father deposited
the funds and I was assured that once, I have someone who would be willing to
receive my inheritance trunk box on my behalf, they shall commence all
proceedings to effect the release and transfer of my inheritance trunk box into
the person's designated country for investment project. Now, that you have
signified your interest to partner with me, it would only be very necessary if
you contact the security company and request for the release and transfer of
my inheritance trunk box into your country for the purpose of investment and
to further have me come over to your country to continue with my studies.

I shall be giving you the security company contact details as soon as I hear
back from you so that you will go ahead and contact the security company.
Include your direct mobile telephone number as i will like to call you.Talk
toyou the more.

Thanks
Irina James.

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