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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: "Joe Amendola" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <amendolajoe1@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2014 15:41:37 +0100
Subject: Dear Friend

 
Compliment Of the Season
Joe Amendola & Associates
Dearest,
 
Before I proceed I must first  apologize for this unsolicited  mail to  you, I am aware that  this is certainly not  a conventional way of approach to establish a  relationship of trust, I am Joe Amendola, I am the Personal Attorney to Engr. Ronald Reagan.  Who used to work with Agip Oil Company in Nigeria as a foreign expert. On the 21st of May 2007, he and his wife including their three children were involved in a car accident along Port Harcourt rivers Express way.
 
Unfortunately, they all lost their lives in the event of the accident. Since then I have made several inquiries to his Embassy to locate any of my client’s relatives, which has also proved unsuccessful. hence,  I contacted you to assist in restoring the money left  behind by  my client in a Bank.
 
Consequently, the Bank has issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin to claim the funds (eighteen Million United States Dollars only) in their custody within the next ten official working days
 
Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you for the disbursement of the fund and   then you and I will share the money in this order: 60 for me, 40 for you. I have all the necessary legal documents that can back our claim we may make with the Bank.
 
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be   executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.Please get in touch with me through my alternative email address :(joeamendolaassociates1@yahoo.co.jp) for further details.
Yours Sincerely.
Joe Amendola Esq).
 

Anti-fraud resources: