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 INNA KHODORKOVSKY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info@innakhodorkovsky.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 06:16:30 -0700
Subject: MRS INNA KHODORKOVSKY

DR.WEST PRIVATE MEDICAL
ClevverMail GmbH
Borsigstr. 9
10115 Berlin
Germany.
 
MY DEAR SIR,
 
I AM MRS.INNA KHODORKOVSKY WIFE TO LATE MR. MIKHAIL BORIS KHODORKOVSKY OF BLESSED MEMORY WHO IS AN OIL EXPLORER IN SINGAPORE AND KUWAIT FOR FIFTEEN YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS.  BEFORE HE DIED IN THE YEAR 2010.WE WERE MARRIED FOR TWELVE YEARS WITHOUT A CHILD.
 
HE DIED AFTER A BRIEF ILLNESS THAT LASTED FOR ONLY FOUR DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH I TOO HAVE BEEN BATTLING WITH BOTH CANCER AND FIBROID PROBLEMS.WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS ALIVE HE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF $38,000,000 (THIRTY EIGHT  MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS) SOME WERE IN OVERSEA.RECENTLY MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT I HAVE ONLY SIX MONTHS TO LIVE DUE TO CANCER PROBLEM, THOUGH WHAT DISTURBS ME MOST IS MY STROK SICKNESS AND HAVING KNOWN MY CONDITION I DECIDED TO DONATE THIS FUND TO EITHER A CHRISTIAN OR MUSLIM ORGANIZATION OR A DEVOTED CHRISTIAN OR MUSLIM INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL UTILIZE THIS MONEY THE WAY I AM GOING TO INSTRUCT HEREIN.
 
I WANT THIS CHRISTIAN OR MUSLIM ORGANIZATION OR INDIVIDUAL TO USE THIS MONEY IN ALL SINCERITY TO FUND MOSQUE OR CHURCHES, ORPHANAGE, WIDOWS AND GENERAL PEOPLE IN NEED. I TOOK THIS DECISION BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY CHILD THAT WILL INHERIT THIS MONEY AND MY HUSBANDS RELATIVES ARE SO SELFISH AND HAVE LOATHED THE REST OF MY LATE HUSBANDS PROPERTIES. SO I DON'T WANT A SITUATION WHERE BY THIS MONEY WILL BE USED IN WASTEFUL MANNER, HENCE THE REASONS FOR THIS BOLD DECISION.
 
I DON'T NEED ANY TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION IN THIS REGARD BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH, AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF MY HUSBAND'S RELATIVES AROUND ME ALWAYS.
 
I DON' T WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT, AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR REPLY, I SHALL GIVE YOU THE CONTACT INFORMATION AND THE COUNTRY IN OVERSEA WHERE THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED.I WILL ALSO ISSUE A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION TO YOU AUTHORIZING THEM TO RELEASE MY FUND TO YOU.I WANT YOU AND THE CHRISTIAN OR MUSLIM COMMUNITY WHERE YOU RESIDE TO ALWAYS PRAY FOR ME. ANY DELAY IN YOUR REPLY WILL GIVE ROOM IN SEARCHING FOR ANOTHER CHRISTIAN OR MUSLIM ORGANIZATION OR A DEVOTED MAN OF GOD FOR SAME PURPOSE.
 
THIS MONEY WILL BE USED TO OPEN A CHARITY ORGANIZATION IN MY NAME WHICH WILL BE CALLED (INNA HOME) IN YOUR COUNTRY BUT WILL BE MANAGED BY YOU.SECONDLY YOU WILL HELP TRANSFER ME TO A BETTER HOSPITAL IN YOUR COUNTRY THAT IS STRANDED AND WELL EQUIPPED BECAUSE WERE I AM PRESENTLY DON’T HAVE STRANDED EQUIPMENTS TO TREAT ME. YOU WILL DO THIS WHEN YOU RECEIVE MY MONEY SO THAT I CAN SEE IF I WILL LIVE MORE DAYS. DUE I WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS MONEY FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL USE AND THE REST WILL BE USED AS I HAVE INSTRUCTED.
 
TILL I HEAR FROM YOU, MY DREAMS WILL REST SQUARELY ON YOUR SHOULDERS. I WILL SEND YOU MY PICTURE IN THE HOSPITAL, AND MY CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT AS AT THE TIME OF DEPOSIT, WITH OTHER DOCUMENT FOR YOUR CLAIM.
 
 
IF ALL I HAVE WRITTEN IS OK WITH YOU, SEND ACROSS TO ME THE FOLLOWING
 
YOUR FULL NAMES
YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER
AGE AND OCCUPATION
MARITAL STATUS AND ADDRESS
 
FOR FURTHER PROCEEDING TO RECEIVE MY FUND ON YOUR NAME.
AS I READ FROM YOU I WILL FEED YOU WITH MORE DETAILS
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO SEND YOUR REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:  
      
REGARDS.
 
MRS INNA KHODORKOVSKY

Anti-fraud resources: