joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Mrs.Miriam Abacha" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <icpc_2009@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 03:03:57 -0700
Subject: Receive this with utmost confidential,

Attention Sir/Ma, First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction. This is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle this confidential transaction, which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money. I am the Attorney to Mariam Abacha whose husband Lt. Gen. Sani Abacha the Nigerian Head of States who died sometime in 1998 in mysterious circumstance as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My client desperately needs a foreign partner who will receive the sum Thirty Nine Million United States Dollars (US$39,000,000.00) for safe keeping to avoid the fund from been confiscated by the government if being found out. This money is safely deposited in a security company in London before her husband's death. My client whose family properties have been seized and bank accounts frozen by the present Civilian Government cannot afford to loose this money, which she hopes to start a new life whenever she is free to move about freely. We have agreed to offer you 30% of the whole money, 60% for us and 10% for any eventual expenses. There is no risk involved in this transaction. Every arrangement has been concluded with the security company that as soon as you give me your positive response to this request, the money will be moved out of the country within 3-5 days. Waiting to hear from you. Barr Alex Ekwueme

Anti-fraud resources: