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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: "Agent Fred Walters { SPECIAL FBI AGENT }" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unitednation@micro.lt>
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 03:39:31 -0700
Subject: Dear Email Owner ( Make Sure You Read }

Dear Email Owner
 
You might be surprise to receive these email, we are solicitors in the recently concluded 2013 investigations and subsequent arrests of suspected fraudsters in Africa region, in collaboration with the present governments of Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, England and South Africa, the UN and FBI security operatives have so far arrested and prosecuted over 300 government, banking officials, hoodlums and arrest is still going on.
 
So far, the UN and FBI security operatives have also recovered about $5.1 Billion from both cash and accounts.
 
We found your email address from the address books of the arrested officials, that his were we got your email address from.
 
Right now, the United Nations (UN) and their Africa Union (AU) counterpart is paying a $15 million us dollars compensation to those whose emails addresses and other personal data were recovered from these arrested officials, and also we are also paying full contract or inheritance and winning amounts to those with provable information, these will qualify them as genuine contractors and beneficiaries of these funds in the affected African countries.
 
Which Category do you fall? Have you been getting emails for payments from these countries? OR are you a legitimate contractor and fund beneficiary in any of the affected African countries? Please indicate clearly as you get back to me for proper guidelines and details on how to receive this compensation OR your full payment.
 
The only money you will have to pay in these transaction is the $385 us dollars for the legal paper works of your fund, please take note of that because it his a compulsory fee, failure to pay for the legal paper works we will send a disclaimer form to the government of your country to sign it, and your $15 million us dollars will be sent to the orphanage home of your country.
 
Contact me on (unitednation@micro.lt)
 
Yours in Service,
Mr Fred Walters.
(Compensation Officer) and ( F B I) representative ( Director of the Criminal Division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Anti-fraud resources: