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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: "Ms. Jessica Kone" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jss6404k@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 08:55:05 +0100
Subject: Attn. Pls. Treat As Urgent/Confidential *!!!


Compliments of the season!
After six months in the hospital bed I came out healthy. unfortunately, my mailbox has been closed due to the fact that it has not been serviced for six good months, so I decided to send this to your old email address. Finally, a solution have arrived. I have a bank here in Cotonou-Benin Republic that want to give me urgent loan of US$300,000.00 but I need to get their application fee of US$580. This loan is to assist us offset any fees and for any sort of charges as may require during the course of transfer my funds with the offshore Europe company to your bank account, I want you to send the US$580 immediately to the Loan officer. In Alternative you can travel to meet with the Director of logistic of the offshore Europe company to work it out with him.

Friend, this is urgent to enable us have the loan to settle all the issue with the offshore Europe company and have my US$28.5 Million funds transferred to your account. I have already concluded discussion with the Director of logistic of the offshore Europe company who assured me that as soon as we pay the handling charges cost he will wire the funds into your bank account through their Inter-Face Banker there in Europe, he also asked me about you because he said for this six months that I have been hospitalized that has not heard from you. Please update me if you have any information new to change under this Transaction Like your phone numbers, address and any other information that you may consider relevant since we have not had any communication for the past six months that I was hospitalized.

Sincerely Yours
Ms. Jessica Kone

Anti-fraud resources: