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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: "James Marah" <james_marah22@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: james_marah22@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 03:20:43 +0300 (EAT)
Subject: Greeetings From James and Lilian Marah.




>From James and Lilian Marah.
REPUBLIC OF COTE-D'IVOIRE

Dear,

I know that this mail will come to as a surprise but please it was borne
out of a desparate need for assistance.

I am James Marah the only son of late MATTHEW MARAH from Sierra Leone.

I got your contact from the ECOWAS Infomation Center in Cote d'Ivoire. My
source of your contact gave me the courage and confidence to rely on you.
I am writting you in absolute confidence primarily to seek your assistance
to transfer the amount of (EIGHT MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS)($
8,500,000,00 US )now in the custody of a BANK here in Abidjan to your
private account .

SOURCE OF THE MONEY; My late father, GEN.MATTHEW MARAH a native of mende
district of Sierra Leone, was the general Manager of Sierra Leone Diamond
minning corporation (S.L.D.M.C.) Freetown.

According to my mother, This money was the income that accrued from
minning corporation's over draft and minor sales.

Before the peak of the civil war between the rebels forces of major Paul
Koroma and the combined forces of ECOMOG peace keeping operation that
almost destroyed my country, following the forceful removal from power of
the Civilian Elected President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah by the rebels. My father
had already made arrangement for his family;

My mother, my sister Lilian and myself to be evacuated to Abidjan Cote
d'Ivoire.
My father deposited the money for safe custody until after the war when he
will join us.

But During the war in my country, indiscriminate looting of public and
Government properties by the rebel forces was rampant and the sierra Leone
minning corporation was one of the targets looted and destroyed. My father
including other top Government functionaries were attacked and killed by
the rebels because of his relationship with the civilian Government of
Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.

The news of my father's death, and my uncles involvement in an air crash
while on a business trip to benin republic caused my mother heartfailure
and other related complications of which she later died in the hospital
After we have spent a lot of money on her.

Now my 16-year-old sister and myself are alone in this strange country
suffering without any care or help, Without any relative, we are now like
refugees and orphans. Before our mother died, she told us that our father
deposited some money which he made from diamond sales and contracts at
this bank here in Ivory Coast and that we should pray and find a trust
worthy foreign business partner who would help us to transfer and invest
this money in profitable business venture overseas.

She told us to do this quickly so that we can leave Ivory Coast and, then
settle down abroad. She gave us the bank document to prove the deposit and
then told us that my father used my name as the beneficiary to the money
in the bank in the event of his death. She told us that this is the reason
why we came to Ivory Coast.

I have gone to the bank to make inquires about this money and I spoke with
the Manager of International remittance who assured me that everything is
intact and promised to help me transfer this money to my father's foreign
partners bank account as soon as I introduce him to them.

If you are willing to assist us, please let us know immediately so that
you will arrange the transfer of the money to your account with the bank.

Our only hope now is in this money our father deposited in the BANK. To
this effect, I humbly solicit your assistance in the followings ways;

To assist me claim this money from the BANK as a co-beneficiary.;

To transfer this money in your name to your country;

To make a good arrangement for a joint business investment on our behalf
in your country with you as the caretaker.

To secure a college for my little Sister and my self in your country to
further our education, and to make arrangement for our travel to your
country after the money have been transferred to your account. Most
importantly, the whole documents issued after deposit is in my custody.

For your assistance, I beg to concede 10% of this money to you while 5%
will be set aside for ancillary expenses that may arise in the course of
the transaction.

I EAGERLY AWAITS YOUR REPLY.
BEST REGARDS
JAMES AND LILIAN MARAH.

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