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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: "Alhaji. Otman Ahmede" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alhajiotmanahmed@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2013 02:51:44 -0500
Subject: Re: TO YOU 83.96.162.32 ?

>From the desk of Alhaji. Otman Ahmed
Bill And Exchange Manager
Bank Of Africa (BOA)
West Africa
 
Dear Friend,
 
CONFIDENTIAL
 
I know that this mail will come to you as a big surprise; I am the bill and exchange manager in Bank Of Africa. I hoped that
 
you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our
 
families.
 
In my department my colleagues and I discovered an abandoned sum of 12.5m us dollars in an account that belongs to one of our
 
foreign customer (Dr. Eric MORGAN) 59 years American citizen who died 11th September 2001 with event of terrorist attack on
 
World Trade Canter.
 
I need your urgent assistance in transferring the mentioned sum Immediately to your account, the money has been dormant for
 
years in our bank here without any body coming for the claim, I don't want the money to go into our bank treasury as an
 
abandoned or unclaimed fund, so this is the reason why I contacted you, so that the bank can release the money to you as the
 
nearest person to the deceased customer.
 
Please I will like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are not interested and if you are interested
 
reply immediately, upon receipt of your reply, I will send you full details on how the business will be executed and also
 
note that you will have 30% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to transact the business with me and 5% will be for any
 
expenses that will occur during the transfer why my colleagues and I  will have 65% as our own share.
 
You should reply for further arrangement and our communication through mobile phone.
 
Anticipating your cooperation
 
Best regards
 
Alhaji. Otman Ahmede

Anti-fraud resources: