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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: miriam hafez <miriamhaf40@gmail.com>
Reply-To: miriamhaf20@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 05:12:28 -0800
Subject: Beloved Friend,


Beloved Friend,

My good friend how are you. My name is Mrs Miriam Hafez,a 60 year old dying
woman. Please don't be surprised of what you are about to read now,it is a
reality and if you follow it up,you will confirm it. In the past few years
now,I have been battling with cancer and recent diagnosis showed that the
cancer have damaged parts of my body and have affected my kidneys;
including my throat thereby impairing my speech and is making me feel very
weak each passing day. As it stands now, I can only do very limited things
in pains and with assistance. However,all these are no longer my worries
now.

My problem now is that, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to help me
to accomplish my will. Since I can't do it myself.I want you to know that I
am dyeing and I am asking you to help me fulfill my dear husband¨s last
wish and our legacy.Before my illness started, I was an International Gold
and Diamond Dealer, a Foreign Merchant. Also,before my late dear husband
died some years earlier leaving me with his assets, together with mine. We
planed to build an Orphanage Home and a School for the Less-Privileged.But
with this illness now I can not accomplish this my husband¨s last wish,
which is also my dream and will stand as our legacy. So for this purpose, I
deposited a very large sum of money in a financial company located in an
Asian country. And presently the Money is still in the financial company
valued at US$6.5 (Six Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars).

If you know that you are ready to be sincere to carry out my wish,the money
will be arranged to be released to you to build an Orphanage home and a
school, for the Less-Privileged,and certain percentage will be trusted to
you as a compensation for your good work. Please kindly contact me as soon
as possible,so that I will introduce you to the financial company and the
documents relating to the fund; now that I am still alive. I don"t know
what will happen to me next and I don"t want our money to be confiscated. I
want to tidy up every arrangement concerning our huge deposit and legacy,if
that is the only thing I could accomplish while still alive. Help Please .

With Kind Regards,
Mrs Miriam Hafez.

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