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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: "LAURENCE WEISS " <net6@abilat.ga>
Reply-To: <laurencew@pisem.net>
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 16:13:49 -0500
Subject: NOTICE

DEAR FRIEND,

PLEASE HAVE PATIENCE AND READ WHAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU,CONSIDER
YOURSELF FORTUNATE TO HAVE MET WITH PRIVILEGE LIKE THIS.I WAS A
SCAMMED VICTIM FOR YEARS like you,I FELL TO DIFFERENT SCAM MOST COMING
FROM NIGERIA AND OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE AND AFRICA INCLUDING UK.THEY
HAVE TOLD ME I HAVE WON LOTTERY,OTHER SAID I SHOULD STAND AS NEXT OF
KIN AND RECENTLY THEY SAID U.N.O/WORLD BANK WANTS TO COMPENSATE ME FOR
BEEN A VICTIM OF SCAM AND IT WAS ANOTHER SCAM,I FELL FOR ALL THESE
TRICKS AND I LOST SO MUCH MONEY. BUT WHEN I LEARN THAT ALL SCAM HAS IT
ROOTS FROM NIGERIA,I DECIDED TO GO TO NIGERIA TO REPORT TO THE
GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE PAINS AND LOSS I HAVE GONE THROUGH IN THE HANDS
OF THEIR CITIZENS WHICH CONSTITUTED THE BULK OF THE SCAM CRIMINALS.THE
GOVERNMENT THEN REFER ME TO THE USA EMBASSY IN NIGERIA WHERE THE
AMBASSADOR IS CHARGED TO COMPENSATE SCAM VICTIM AND TO MY SURPRISE I
WAS COMPENSATED WITH US$5MILLION.I WAS STILL IN NIGERIA WHEN I CONFIRM
FROM MY BANK THAT THE SAID FUND HAS HIT MY ACCOUNT.I COULD NOT BELIEVE
MY EYES,TODAY MY LAWYER IS SERIOUSLY INVESTING THE FUND IN REAL ESTATE
FOR ME.WHY I CONTACTED YOU WAS THAT I FOUND YOUR EMAIL IN THAT LIST OF
THOSE DUE FOR SCAM COMPENSATION,I AM PASSING THIS INFORMATION TO YOU
SO THAT YOU TOO CAN BENEFIT LIKE ME,I WILL PROVIDE YOU THE EMAIL OF
THE USA AMBASSADOR THAT YOU WILL CONTACT HIM FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR
$5MILLION COMPENSATION FUND TO YOU. CONGRATULATION IN ADVANCE.I AM A
POPULAR AMERICAN SONG WRITER,VIEW MY WEBSITE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
ME:http://rhinestonecowboy.com

REGARDS.
LAURENCE WEISS

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