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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: benjamin debrah <benjamindebrah171@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:12:56 -0700
Subject: Waiting to hear from you soon.

Dear Friend,

How are you today? My name is Mr.benjamin debrah., I am regional
manager with Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) here in Accra, Ghana.
I am writing this letter to you because of great opportunity that i
will like us to achieve I have been in search of someone to cooperate
with me so that we will benefit from this great chance, so when I saw
your name I was propelled to contact you for this opportunity and hope
we can work together. Late Jim Scholz, a citizen of your country, who
had a fixed deposit with my bank here in Ghana in 2009 for 36 calendar
months, valued at US{$10.500 000 00} the due date for this deposit
contract was last November 2013."Jim Scholz, was among the death
victims in the march 11th 2011 Earthquake disaster in Japan, He was in
Japan on a business trip when the Earthquake happened.

My bank management is not yet know about his death, I knew about it
because he was my friend and I am his account officer. Jim did not
mention any beneficiary when the account was opened, and i have tried
without success to find any member of his family. Last week my Bank
Management requested that i should give instructions on what to do
about the funds, if to renew the contract. I know this will happen and
that is why I have been looking for a means to handle the situation,
because if my Bank Directors happens to know that "Jim is dead and do
not have any beneficiary to the funds, they will take the funds for
their personal use, so I don't want such to happen. That was why when
I saw your name I was happy and I am now seeking your co-operation to
present you as beneficiary to the account, since you are from the same
country with him and our bank head quarters will approve the transfer
of the funds in your name because you are from the same country is the
only thing that qualifies you to stand as the beneficiary of Jim.

There is no risk involved because i am equally part of this process
therefore you can be assured that this process will be a success for
us. I don't want the bank to confiscate the money, meanwhile if you
are interested please kindly write me through my private email address
below.

Waiting to hear from you.

Regards,

Mr. benjamin debrah.
Email: ben.d1964@hotmail.com
Regional manager

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