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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: "Yusuf Adams Esq" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <yusufadams2000@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 23:15:58 -0700
Subject: Greetings From Yusuf Adams

Greetings Sir/Madam,
I Pray and Hope that this letter will find you in Good Spirits and of course always' in the Best of Health!!

I am Yusuf Adams, the personal lawyer to Late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa the former Governor of Kaduna State in Nigeria. My late client died in helicopter crash on Saturday 15th of December 2012 where he attended an official meeting.
IN LINE WITH THIS, YOU MAY WISH TO READ MORE OF THIS ON THE WEBSITE BELOW:
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/yakowa-azazi-die-in-helicopter-crash/133710/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/12/20121215225147473906.html

I am contacting you to assist me in repatriating the money left behind by my late client before they get confiscated, frozen or declared unserviceable by the bank where the huge deposits were lodged. As to the constitution of the Bank, the management of the Bank has issued me a notice to provide the Next Of Kin before the account is declare unserviceable. I cannot claim the money alone without the help of a foreign partner so I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin so that the proceeds of this account valued at $12.5 Million US dollars can be paid to you then I can migrate to your country for investment, this I must do to make sure that the fund is not wasted or end up in the wrong hands. All I need is your honest co-operation, I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you and i from any breach of the law. I have the legal documents backing up this claim and I shall legitimately apply for the funds and have them approved by the bank who asked me

Please this fortune I have revealed to you should remain confidential as it is only you who have been contacted for this issue, so that your messages will be confidentially received. I await your urgent response to this transaction.
Yours Sincerely,
Yusuf Adams Esq.

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