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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. Theresa Luis" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <teeluis@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 15 May 2015 06:03:04 -0700
Subject: Best regards

Dear Friend

I am Mrs. Theresa Luis, I am 68 years old born in Britain, and I am suffering from a long time cancer of the Lungs which also had affected my entire well being, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating. According to my doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the next two months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad level.

I was brought up from an orphanage home, was married to my late husband Mr. Luis (BRITISH MAN) for twenty years and we lived in London, later transferred to Nigeria as an Ambassador Attaché at British Embassy in Nigeria, until my husband died in a plane crash, Beechcraft 1900D, charter aircraft, which disappeared on March 15, 2008. The wreckage of the plane was discovered six months later with the corpses of my husband and the other two persons on board. Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the money with a bank in Lagos Nigeria. Presently, this money is still with the bank and I have not operated the account for a long time due to my illness.

Presently, I'm with a laptop in my hospital room, where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer in the lungs for over one year. Recently, doctors told me that I have only a few months to live so I quickly made up my mind positively concerning my money. My mind ministered to me to share this inheritance with the orphans in orphanage homes and people that need money for survival.

It is my last wish to see that some percentage (70%) will be distribute among the charity organizations, the poor and orphans in orphanage homes where I came from and some percentage (20%) for devoted individual (you) that will utilize this money the way I wish and (10%) will be use to settle expenses (IF ANY) incurred in the cause of transfer. I took this decision because my time will soon be over and I do not want the Nigeria bank to inherit the money if I eventually die.

I want you to honestly accept my decision and send me the following details to enable me instruct my bank to process all my money valued £3.5 million GBP and transfer to you as my beneficiary. As soon as I receive your reply and the details, I will issue a letter of authority to my bank which will empowers you as the beneficiary of my money, in as much as you give me assurance that you will do my last wish.

Your Full Name..................
Address..............................
Nationality..........................
Phone Number..................
Occupation........................
Age..........Sex..................

Yours sincerely,

Mrs. Theresa Luis
Best regards

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