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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: jennifer tapedoh <jenniferprivate1@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 05:13:05 -0700
Subject: Dear friend

Dear friend

Good day to you and compliments of the day, I am sure that you will be
surprise to receive this letter from a complete stranger like me hence
my apology. I am contacting you due to the situation I am into. I am
Miss Jennifer Marisa daughter of late Chief & Mrs.Johnson marisa of
the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). My mother died when i am
little age and i am the only child. I lived with my father in Abidjan
city known as the economic capital of Cote D'Ivoire the largest Cocoa
producing nation in Africa where my father had his Agricultural
business. My father is a wealthy cocoa and gold merchants but
unfortunately he was killed recently by his local business associate
during their business meeting in a hotel here. The death of my father
was planned by his wicked brother because he was greedy that my father
could use his wealth to cheat him in the family matters.

After my father's burial, the wicked uncle took over my father's
properties as he believed that am too young to drag the properties
with him. I reported him to some people but they could not do anything
than to support him because he shared them some money to support him,
there is no justice therefore i decided to leave the properties for
him and run away because he put more pressure on me and he wants me
dead for him to be satisfied. I am presently hiding somewhere around
the country where he cannot see me, meanwhile i want to relocate to
your country for my life sake and in order to further with my
education.

My purpose of contacting you is that i want you to help me to transfer
the sum of five Million two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
(USD5, 200,000.00) which my father left in a suspense account with a
bank here in the country with my name as the next of kin as his only
child. My father got the money from his agricultural business in my
country. He told me about the money before he died, and he advised me
to invest it in foreign country for my future. I am the only person
that knows about the money in my family. There are some condition and
agreement which my father signed with the bank during the deposit, for
that reason, the bank director want me to appoint my guardian to the
bank to claim the money otherwise the bank will hold the money until i
reach 25 years old as one the agreement.

Now that my wicked uncle is after my life and i don't want him to know
about this money so i decided not to choose any person in my country
for guardianship. This is why i contact you for you to be my guardian
towards the transfer of this money and investments in your country. I
want you to be my help for me to appoint you to the bank as my
guardian so that the bank will transfer the money into your account
over there and immediately after the transfer i will get my visa
ticket to meet you over there and stay there to further with my
education while you invest the money for me into lucrative investments
like real estate or hotel business.

I will be glad to give you 5% of the total money as reward for your
assistance and as far as we are in good relation we can share the
profits of the investments. This transfer can be completed within
7-days as the banker told me. I assure you this project is risk-free,
for the respect of my message you can contact Rev father Benson
Williams at st John catholic church Bassam on the telephone
+22506359863 where i am now for more detail of the deposit OR to my
private email, jenniferprivate1@gmail.com
thanks and God bless you
Jennifer

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