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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: Sharifa Damiba <sharifadamiba@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Sharifa Damiba <sharifadamiba@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 21:31:54 +0900 (JST)
Subject: HELP ME.

Hello Dear Friend,
How are you? My name is Sharifa from Benin Republic West Africa; I’m 24 years
old, only child of late Mr. & Mrs. Damiba. My mum died when I was 11, and
my dad died on August 6, 2013 and following to medical analyzes he was
poisoned. As first born, my late father inherited a lot of assets from his late
father my late grand-father meanwhile, his younger brother’s my uncle’s were
not happy because my father got major part, believe you me ever then there was
absolutely family crisis. No peace, it was like a hell among the brother’s, I’m
sure and certain they conspired and killed my father in other to execute their
evil enterprise, because few months after my father’s funeral they came up with
silly traditions and cultures which states that females have no privilege over
family’s assets as a result they confiscated all.

Seemingly my father knew what will happen afterward, before given up a ghost he
gave me a deposit certificate of money deposited with a Security Company. He deposited
the sum of USD15M in a Security Company here in Benin Republic, although my
father told the company management that the content of the box was gold that
belongs to his foreign partner and it was agreed and signed that on his absence
the consignment will only be release to his partner by authorization of his
only daughter which I am. You need to apply putting a claim of the trunk as my
father’s foreign partner I am ready to pay 20% of the total amount to you if
you help me claim the consignment and another 10% interest per Annual after
Income to you, for handling this transaction for me.

Yours Sincerely,

Sharifa Damiba

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