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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: "willliams.ovie88" <willliams.ovie88@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 22:58:35 +0100
Subject: please contact me

Bujumbura Refugee Camp,
Accra, Ghana.
e-mail: williams.ovie88@yahoo.com

Greetings,

Please permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business
relationship with you as I contact you today and propose for your
cooperation as my appointed foreign Partner. I am Williams Mills Ovie
26 years of age and the only son of late Mr. Richard Mills Ovie. I am
presently in a Refugee Camp. My Father was a wealthy African/Middle
East Oil and Gold Merchant based in Ghana but was poisoned to death by
his business associates on one of their business trips. My Mother died
when I was a little boy and since then my Father took me so special.
Before he died he secretly called me at his bed side and told me that
he has the sum of US$9.5M balance deposited with a Commercial Bank
here in Ghana.

Now I seek your cooperation as my Foreign Partner (1) to receive the
money on my behalf from the custodian Bank. (2) To serve as my
Investment Supervisor since I have little knowledge on big financial
business. (3) To partner with me on my proposed Estate Development
Investment in your country. I am prepared to negotiate your percentage
share after the successful transfer of this money into your bank
account or any other capable person overseas. All I need from you is
your trust and honest cooperation to enable us complete this
transaction successfully. I assure you this transaction will be
executed legally. Do get back to me with your contact information for
more details

I will appreciate your cooperation.
Regards,
Williams

Anti-fraud resources: