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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Thomas Bouateng" <bouatengt@yahoo.com.ph> (may be fake)
Reply-To: t.bouateng@yahoo.com.ph
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 20:16:02 +0600
Subject: Urgent/Confidential,Please Get Back To me





>From the desk of Thomas Bouateng.
Bill And Exchange Manager
Bank Of Africa (ADB)
West Africa.

Dear Friend,

CONFIDENTIAL.

I know that this mail will come to you as a big surprise; I am the bill
and exchange manager in African Development Bank. I hoped that you will
not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on
you for the mutual benefit of our both families.

In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of Twelve Million,Five
Hundred USD (US$12.5M )in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customer Engr.John Creek 69 years American citizen who died 11th
September 2001 (9/11) with event of terrorist attack on World Trade
Canter.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the mentioned sum
immediately to your account, the money has been dormant for years in our
bank here without any body coming for the claim, I don't want the money to
go into our bank treasury as an abandoned or unclaimed fund, so this is
the reason why I contacted you, so that the bank can release the money to
you as the nearest person to the deceased customer.

Please I will like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if
you are not interested and if you are interested reply immediately, upon
receipt of your reply, I will send you full details on how the business
will be executed and also note that you will have 30% of the above
mentioned sum if you agree to transact the business
with me and 5% will be for any expenses that will occur during the
transfer why I will have 65% as my own share.

You should reply for further arrangement and our communication through
mobile phone.
Anticipating your cooperation

Kind regards,
Thomas Bouateng.

Anti-fraud resources: