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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: "Lilian Wadi" <lilian.wad@tie.go.tz>
Reply-To: lilian.wadi@tie.go.tz
Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 00:59:56 +0300
Subject: CLAIM OF INHERITANCE




Greetings,

I am Ms Lilian Wadi from Tanzania in Africa, although it may come to you
as a surprise receiving this mail from me without a due knowledge of me. I
was once married to a South African husband who later died in a mining
accident in Ghana. My late husband was a Gold Merchandise Exporter from
Ghana to North America, South, Central American, Europe and Asia.

Ever since my late husband's death I have been facing series of attacks
from my late husband's family over the distribution of his wealth, my late
husband's family has already succeeded in taking over almost all my late
husband's properties in his home Cape Town, because they know that I am an
orphan.

I am only left with the sum of $16,800,000.00 USD (Sixteen Million Eight
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which my late husband deposited in
Bank of Ghana in Accra the Capital City of Ghana as belonging to his
Foreign Business Partner for security reasons and I have all complete
proof documents with me.

This is why I decided to contact you to play the role of my late husband's
Foreign Partner and help me claim this money from the Bank of Ghana, since
it is only when I present my late husband's business partner, only then
WILL this money be released to me. I am presently in a refugee camp in
Ghana, because I do not have anybody to help me because I am an Orphan.

I will be glad if you can help me receive this money in your name and I
will come over to meet with you in your Country, since I do not wish to
invest this money here in Ghana.

You will take 30% of the money and keep the rest for me. This is my only
hope of starting a new life with my four year old son and give him good
education. I will send all the documents regarding this deposit when I
hear from you, which you may confirm from the Judicial Authority in Ghana.

Please reply me through Email lilian.wadi@tie.go.tz

Regards,
Ms Lilian Wadi

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