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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: Mrs Noffi Smith <noffi_smith1@mail.ru>
Reply-To: Mrs Noffi Smith <noffi_smith@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2015 20:40:12 +0900 (JST)
Subject: ATTENTION PLS.


Dear God's Select

I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great sorrow in my heart, My Name is Mrs. Noffi  Smith  60years old an ageing widow and a Cancer patient and I am contacting you from my country  Cote D'Ivoire, I want to tell you this because I don't have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to open up to you, I married to Mr.Christopher Smith who worked with Cote D'Ivoire embassy in Burkina Faso for eleven years before he died in the year 2009. We were married for nineteen years without a child.

He died after a brief illness that lasted for only five days. Since his death I decided not to remarry, When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$ 8.5m (Eight Million Five hundred Thousand Dollars) in a security company  in Abidjan  the capital city of  Cote D'Ivoire in west Africa Presently this money is still in security company.  He made this money available for exportation of Gold from Burkina Faso mining.

Recently, My Doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven months due to cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Having known my condition I decided to hand you over this money to take care of the less-privileged people, you will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here

I want you to take 30% of the total money for your personal use While 70% of the money will go to charity, people in the street and helping the orphanage. I grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family member, just to end endeavor that the house of God is maintained. Am doing this so that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul because these sicknesses have suffered me so much.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security company in Cote D'Ivoire and I will also instruct the security company Manger to issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money in there security company, that is if you assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.
 

Hoping to receive your reply:
From Mrs Noffi  Smith.

Anti-fraud resources: