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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: Janice Howard <gw543111@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Janice Howard <jhoward@inmano.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2014 14:33:12 +0900 (JST)
Subject: From Miss Janice Howard [Urgent Help]


Good day to you.
Firstly I will like you to Permit me for a brief introduction, I'm Miss Janice Howard from Ivory Coast and the only survival daughter of my late parents, Mr & Mrs Isaac Howard, I wish to request for your honest assistance in accepting me as one of your family member and as your daughter. Before the sudden death of my parents on that faithful day that they were assassinated by unknown person, It was made known to me by my father that he and my mother made a deposit sum of $4,300,000.00 USD (Four Million Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in one of the security firm here in Ivory Coast capital Abidjan, and that the money was deposited and registered as family treasure concealed in a metallic box.
 
There after the political crisis in our country, that claimed the live of many in the year 2010 and I had to run away from our country, and my uncles were not friendly to take me with them after the death of my parents. Beside I was warned by late father even before his sudden death that his brothers are not happy about his establishment in life, that I must be careful and don’t allow any one of them to know my plans in the future, because they will try hurting me. Recently, only for me to return from the hidden place where I have been, and my late father's company and estate has been sold to the Lebanese. When I try to find out, I was attacked severally to be killed by unknown strange people.

Now, I wish to solicit for your kind and urgent help, after having three days fasting and prayer in our church here where I attend and worship God, because my father when he was alive he instructed me to seek for a helper from any foreign country of my choice who will assist me in handling the fund which he deposited in the security company for my well being in the future and to take care of me. I seek for your assistance as foster parents to represent me to the security company as my late father's business associate to claim the money from the security company. You will stand as my foster parents and help me to achieve my dream to live happily again and claim the money from the security company. And you will invest the money in a good business and to help the orphanage and less privilege.
 
The deposited documents are with me here of which I will send you all the documents for verifications once you accept to help me. But my question is this, can I completely trust you? Will you take me as your own daughter. I accept in my heart to offer you 30% of the total sum for your honest and kind assistance.

I'm waiting for your kind response.  

Yours Daughter.
Miss Janice Howard.
I will give you the telephone number to reach me on my next mail.

N:B
Before I forget, I would want you to know this important information regarding to the deposit of this money with the security company, when my father was alive he concealed this money in a metallic trunk box and have it registered as a family treasure, that is to tell you that the security company did not know the real content of the trunk box, you will collect the trunk box from the security company as our family valuable and open it with the secret code which I shall be given to you on my next letter. You must keep this very confidential to avoid the security company from knowing the real content of the deposit in their company.

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