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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: sandra cotta <sandracotta17@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 19:28:21 +0200
Subject: Dear Sir/Madam

Dear Sir/Madam,
CONFIDENTIAL
Compliments of the season to you. I know we have not met before, but my
proposal calls for an emergency alert which gives me no room for much
protocol but to hit directly. My name is Barr. Mrs. Sandra Cot (Esq.) of
Sandra Cot Chambers & Associates. There is a client of mine, a Syrian who
was killed along with his family during the Syrian protest against the
Government. His name is Mr. Yamin Ourfali from Allepo District in Syria, an
oil business magnate who worked for National Oil Corporation in Syria for
many years until his death.
Before his death during the civil war in Syria, he deposited two trunk box
containing the sum of USD $8M (Eight Million United States Dollars) and
1000 Carats of Uncut Diamond known to me in April 13th 2009, in a confided
Safe Security Company here in Spain. Recently as I was checking his
documents file with me in my office and from my enquiries and
investigations from the Safe Security Company, I discovered that he has no
next of kin registered to claim this consignment due to some high
co-operate security secrecy surrounding the consignment.
Furthermore, it is also unknown to the Safe Security Company the real
content of the deposited consignment with them as cash; he did not declared
the content of the two boxes as foreign currency but as Diplomatic
Documents and Confidential Co-operate Treasure/ Valuable documents which we
must uphold in the process of filling the claim of this consignment. As his
representing legal adviser and the only legal person known to the Safe
Security Company, I have in my custody all the legal deposit documents that
cover this deposit which I will immediately use your personal details to
replace as the next of kin and business co-operate to late Yasmin Ourfali.
Upon receipt of your response, I will immediately tender to the Security
Company a letter informing them to immediate release the deposited
consignment in your name as the heir inheritor/next of kin and business
co-operate to late Mr. Tasmin Ourfali. Therefore, to make this effective, I
required that you forward to me your full contact details, such as

Your Full Names
Your direct phone/Fax Numbers
Your Age and Sex
Your Occupations
Your Religion
Your Date of birth
Your Contact address
On your arrival in Spain Madrid we will move the fund to the bank for
onward transfer to your designated bank account outside Spain. I want you
to also maintain absolute secrecy and confidential of this message as a
matured business person with high confidential integrity. If you are not
capable of handling this fund, do not disclose it to any other person as
this is very important and once in a life time business opportunity for me.
We will discuss on sharing percentage as soon as I hear from you.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Sandra Cot
Email:sandracotta@yahoo.es

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