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: Miguel Dortsy <miguel.dortsy@yahoo.pt>
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 10:54:58 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Hope You Reply Soon


Attention Please
My name is Miguel Dortsy and i am a banker with the barclays bank of London. I do hope i am making the right contact here, if not please kindly ignore this email.
I just wish to bring to your knowledge about a file i recently stumbled to in my office. I have been working at this branch for a year and half now and was going through some old files before this one caught my attention. This file details you as the beneficiary of £2,500,000.00 (Two million five hundred thousand pounds) with your name and email address as your preferred contact details. I have already verified the account which stays dormant at present, but with the total fund deposited in an escrow account where it should be transferred from once you have decided to put up a claim as beneficiary.
My worry at this point is because i have not been able to verify source of this fund. So i am forced to ask, did you have an account with us in the past? Do you think you have a late relation who was our customer and must have left you as next of kin, therefore making you the sole beneficiary of this fund? Otherwise, i will be willing to come to terms with you so you and i can strike a deal to remit this fund to you soon as possible and in total confidentiality. You tell me what percentage you can offer me, we have an agreement and i will see to the success of the remittance to you.
I am hoping that my email is clear enough for your understanding while i expect your immediate response. For proper confidentiality, kindly reply to my private email address; dortsymiguel@yahoo.com
Best regards,Miguel Dortsy.


Anti-fraud resources: