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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: "Carman Lapointe Young" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lapointeyoung.mscarman@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2014 02:15:06 -0800
Subject: HAVE YOU RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD???

From, United Nations office of International Oversight
service Internal Audit Monitoring Consulting and
           Investigations Division.
I just wish to know, if you have send to the Barrister in Nigeria
the required sum  of  $155 delivery fee needed to deliver the
ATM card for your compensation fund sum of US$1,550,000.00
to you  as required?? and have the ATM card been delivered to
you now? have you received it?? pls let me know.
Sincerely yours.
Carman Lapointe Young 
Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services

Anti-fraud resources: