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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Chantal Colins <caroline.barouillet@live.fr>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:04:39 +0200
Subject: Hello






Greetings From Miss Chantal Colins, With
all due respect, I want you to read my letter with one mind and help
me. I am Miss Chantal Colins, The only daughter of late Mr. and Mrs.
Colins, My Late father was a very wealthy cocoa dealer in Abidjan Côte
d'Ivoire. before he was poisoned to death by his business associates on
one of their outing to discuss on a business deal. When
my mother died when she was given birth to me, my father took me so
special because I am motherless. Before the death of my late father on
22nd June 2012 in a private hospital here in Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire. He
secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of $7.5M
(Seven Million five Hundred Thousand Dollars) left in a suspense
account in a local bank here in Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire, that he used my
name as his only daughter for the next of kin in deposit of the fund. He
also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was
poisoned by his business associates that I should seek for a foreign
partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and
use it for investment purpose, such real estate agent, I am 22year old. Dear I am honorably seeking your assistance in the following ways. 1) To provide any bank account where this money would be transferred into. 2) To serve as the guardian of this fund. 3)
To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my
education and to secure a residential permit for me in your country. Moreover,
I am willing to offer you 25 percent of the total sum as compensation
for your effort input after the successful transfer of this fund to your
nominated account overseas. I
want you to help me not because of the 25 percent I want to offer you
but to take me as your adoptive child and take good care of my life.
Please save my life. Hope
to hear from you immediately for more details for you to receive the
money so that I can be coming to your country immediately after you have
receive the money so that I can continue my education while this money
will be invested by you. Thanks and God Bless.
Best regards,Miss Chantal Colins.

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