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: Samira Ibrahim <a_anita5@aol.fr>
Reply-To: samiraibrahim964@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 15:52:21 -0700
Subject: Hello Dear Friend

Hello Dear Friend,
 
I know this mail will come to you as a surprise since we haven't known or come across each other before considering the fact that I sourced your profile at dating  through the Internet in search of trusted person who can assist me.
 
I am Samira? Ibrahim 23 years old female from Ivory Coast in West Africa, the Daughter of Late Chief Sergeant, warlord Ibrahim Coulibaly . My late father was an Ivory Coast's best-known militia leaders . He died on the  Thursday 28 April 2011 following a fight with the FRCI," Republican Forces of Ivory Coast. You can read more about my father in the link below.
 
 
Actually I am in search of an honest and reliable person who will help me to relocate to a better life, I have chosen to contact you after my prayers and i believe you will not try to cheat me but rather take me as your own person. Though you may wonder why I am so soon giving it to you without seeing you, well I will say that my instinct still tells me that you would be truthful to me. Please listen to this,i have my late father's statement of account and death certificate here with me which i will send to you latter,because when he was alive he deposited some amount of money in a leading bank here in Africa which he used my name as the next of kin, the amount in question is $3.5M(three million five Hundred Thousand Dollars) so i will like you to help me transfer this money to your account and from it you can send some money for me to get my traveling documents and air ticket to come over to meet with you.
 
I decide to seek for your help in transferring the money into your bank account while I will relocate to your country and settle down with you. As you indicated your interest to help me I will give you the account number and the contact of the bank where my late beloved father deposited the money with my name as the next of kin. It is my intention to compensate you with 20% of the total money for your assistance and the balance shall be my investment in any profitable venture which you will recommend to me as have no any idea about foreign investment. Please all communications should be through this email address only for confidential purposes.
 
However,I shall forward to you the necessary documents on confirmation of your acceptance to assist me for the transfer and investment of the fund. As you will help me in the investment, and I will like to complete my studies because I was in my 2nd year in the university, when the crisis started. Awaiting to hear from you soonest, and i will tell you more about myself including with my pictures in my next mail Remember the distance,color or age does not matter but love matters a lot in life.
 
Yours sincerely
Samira? Ibrahim

Anti-fraud resources: