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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: "Mr. John Soglo" <came.producers123@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <johnsoglo123@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 15:30:45 +0300
Subject: URGENT DISCUSSION

 
Hello,
I sent you an email 3days ago, but I have not heard from you.
 
As I told you in my previous email, I need your help. My name is Mr. John Soglo. I am resident in Benin Republic and a very close associate to late MR. Alejandra Hernandez. Late Mr. Hernandez a Venezuelan citizen was a Category "A “contractor to the government of Benin Republic before he died in June, 2008. I contacted you because I want to transfer the total sum of Twenty eight Million four hundred thousand United States Dollars ($28.4million) into your Bank or company account in your country.
SOURCE OF FUND: Proceed from a closed crude oil supply deal to the government of Benin Republic.
 
This amount represents the last contract Late Mr. Alejandra Hernandez did for the government of Benin in 2007 before he died. The government is now ready to pay for the contract and has published a notice requesting for next of kin to Mr. Hernandez to come forward and claim the funds otherwise the fund will be confiscated. Investigation shows that Late Mr. Hernandez has no recorded Next Of Kin in his contract file with the government of Benin. The ministry of finance has published a notice to provide a Next of Kin who will receive the payment. However, All my efforts to locate any of Late Mr. Hernandez family or relatives has failed. Consequently, I seek your consent to present you as the Next-of-Kin to Late Mr. Hernandez, so that this contract payment will be paid to you. It does not matter if your names are not the same.
Once the payment is made to you, both of us will share it at the ratio of 50/50. That is, Fourteen Million two hundred million United states dollars for you and Fourteen Million two hundred million for me. If we do not claim this money, the Government officials will retain the money and loot it away from the treasury. I want to assure you that the transfer will be executed under a legitimate arrangement, which will protect you from any infraction of the law. I will provide all necessary legal documents to back up the claim. The most important thing I need is your honest cooperation.
If you are interested in this proposal and offer, kindly indicate by sending the following data to me for immediate submission to claim this money. The details I need from you are:
(1) your full name.
(2) Your full address.
(3) Your age & occupation
(4) Your private telephone
(5) your fax number
(6) your private email
(7) copy of your international passport/drivers licence ID.
Please contact me urgently.
Best regards,
Mr. John Soglo
Private Email: johnsoglo123@gmail.com

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