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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: Pete Hill <elina_ali2008@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Pete Hill <petehill@yandex.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 11:38:08 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: hi


 Hello,

How are you today? My name is Peter Hill, I am regional manager here in Accra, Ghana. I am writing this letter to you because of your surname. I have been in search of someone with your last name, so when I saw your name I decided to contact you for this opportunity and hope we can work together.

A citizen of your country, who had a fixed deposit with my bank here in Ghana in 2008 for six years, valued at US$4,400,000.00 (Four million and Four Hundred Thousand US Dollars) the due date for this deposit contract was last November 2013. Sadly he was among the death victims in the March 12, 2011 Sichuan Earthquake disaster in southwest Japan, he was in Japan on a business trip when the Earthquake happened.

The bank management is yet to know about the death of him, I knew about it because he was my friend and I am his account officer.My client did not mention any beneficiary when he opened the account, and i have tried without success to find any member of his family. Last week the bank management requested that i should give instructions on what to do about the funds, if to renew the contract.

I know this will happen and that is why I have been looking for a means to handle the situation, because if my bank directors happens to know that hi is dead, And does not have a beneficiary to the funds, the bank board of directors will share the money, so I don't want such to happen. That is why I decided to contact you for this opportunity, I am now seeking your co-operation to present you as beneficiary of my late client, since you have the same last name and also from the same country, our bank head quarters will approve the transfer in your name because your surname is the only thing that qualifies you to stand as the beneficiary of my client.

I am equally part of this work therefore you can be assured that this process will be a success for me and you. I don't want the bank to confiscate the money. The opportunity is for you and me.

Please write me to my personal email: petehill@yandex.com

Would also appreciate if you can drop your full contact details for more discussion.
Do get back to me.

Thanks very much

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