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: PROCUREMENT PROCUREMENT <info.procurement@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2015 13:21:48 +0200
Subject: FROM DAVID THEMBA. BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

From: David Themba
Tel: +27 61 036 5691

Good day My Friend.

I write asking for your indulgence in re-profiling funds to tune of
Thirty Two Million, Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
(US$32.8m) which we want kept safely overseas under your supervision.

In other words, we would like you to receive the said funds on our
behalf. The Funds were derived from over time from a project awarded
to a foreign firm by my Department, and presently the actual contract
cost have been paid to the original project executors, leaving the
balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principle
obtained approval to remit overseas.

Kindly pardon the use of a medium as informal as this for reaching out
to you to make a request of great importance to us. Currently, I work
as a Director of Projects at the Department of Minerals & Energy in
Pretoria. I have the authority and approval of my partners involved in
this transaction to negotiate a suitable compensation for your
participation and I propose 22.2 percent, while we also propose that
we receive 46.6 percent and 31.2 percent be earmarked for purposes of
taxation.

This endeavor has a minimal risk factor on your part provided you
treat it with the utmost discretion. You are advised to reach me
through e-mail correspondence pprocurement20112@gmail.com

I am available via email to discuss further with you. I am looking
forward to hearing from you immediately.

Sincerely,

David Themba

Tel: +27 61 036 5691

Anti-fraud resources: