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: Martina James <matinajames1977@outlook.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2014 04:58:39 -0700
Subject: MY LAST WISH


Compliments of the day to you!I am happy to know you but God knows you better and he knows why he has directed me to you at this point in time, so do not be afraid. I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great sorrow in my heart, I want to tell you this because i don't have any other option than to tell you as i was touched to open up to you.
However, I am 53 years old & suffering from a long time cancer. From all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may be just living for time because the cancer has reached a critical stage which I believe you might be of help and for this reason, I contacted you.
I was brought up in a motherless baby's home and was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child. He worked with Shell Oil Company for thirty years before his death. He was a philanthropist and since his death, I decided not to remarry because of the bad state of my health but Before this incident, he deposited five million, six hundred thousand dollars with a bank. This money is still in the bank and the management of the bank just wrote me as the legitimate beneficiary to come forward for the claim or rather issue a letter of authorization to someone to do so on my behalf since I am terminally ill; Otherwise, they will refer the fund to the state treasury as unclaimed inheritance.
I'm now in a private hospital where I am undergoing treatment and my last wish is to make sure this fund is available for use in any charity organization of your choice in your country. I want you as a God-fearing person to manage this fund in memory of my late husband to build a foundation to help the orphanage and charitable homes. Please assure me that you will act on humanitarian motives and kindly accept my apologies if i disturbed your attention as I took this decision to enable me die in peace.
Yours SincerelyMartina James

Anti-fraud resources: