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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: "Oswald Lewis" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <oswald.lewwis@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2016 04:48:30 -0000
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE

Good day,
I know really that this message will come to you as a surprise but please permit me to introduce myself to you because i am seriously in need of your assistance. I am Sergeant Oswald Lewis, a security agent with the United Nations troop in Iraq, on war against ISIL. On the other hand, I want to inform you that I have in my possession the sum of $10.5 million which was recovered from one of our raids on terrorists here in Iraq because they keep most of their money at home for evil activities which they normally get through illegal deals on crude oil.
 
Based on the suffering we undergo here some of us do meet such luck. It happened that I went for this raid with the men in my unit and found this fund, I decided to take it as my share for my stress here in this evil land filled with suicide bombers. I registered this money as a consignment and transferred it to Europe and deposited it in security company in Europe with DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE.
 
I want you to know that diplomats run a courier service which is called DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE. This service is meant for transferring hard documents, huge funds and precious stones. They call it consignment. This consignment will be registered under service and will be carried with their diplomatic immunity to any country where they have diplomatic grounds and then deliver it to the owner of the consignment.
 
I told the diplomat who is a very good friend of mine with a decent mind because i gave him security assistance when he came here, that the consignment belongs to a friend of mine that travelled for a business deal and that he will contact him as soon as possible to claim the consignment when he returns. I am a uniformed person and I cannot be parading such an amount so I need to present someone to the diplomat because he did not know that the consignment belongs to me, it is 100% RISK FREE and it is under my power to approve whoever comes forth for this money to avoid demurrage in the security company.
 
I wish to use this money for charity purposes in Turkey, where we have about 5 million Iraqi refugees and Sudan where we have currently the highest numbers of refugees displaced as a result of war. You need to visit such places. I want to invest the money on stock fish from Norway to help this refugees because base on my experience on battle ground in this places, they lack a lot of fish and meat to add to their meager and unpalatable meals which they get in little quantity just to keep them living until God knows when the problem ends. Instead of allowing this terrorists to get the money and spend it on purchasing arms from Russia, it is better channeled to saving the world.
I cannot move this money myself owing to the nature of my job hence I will be in Iraq for about 3 years, so I need someone I could trust and your acceptance. Please if you are interested in this transaction I will give to you the complete details and the contact of the DIPLOMAT in Europe, you need it for us to carry out this transaction successfully. I decided to find someone that is real and not imaginary and that is why I went to a secure business directory where I can be sure that the person is real. I believe I can trust you. Where we are now we have only our military communication facilities which is not secured for a telephone conversation, so i prefer  writing to you where nobody can monitor our emails, then I can explain in details to you.
 
If you are not interested do not reply to this email and please delete this message. If no response after 3 days I will then search for someone else. I am doing this on trust, you should understand that as a trained military expert I will always play safe in case you are the bad type, but I pray you are not. $10.5 million is a lot of money which is the dream of anyone. I am ready to give you 30% of the total sum and 70% will be for me. I hope I am being fair on this deal.
 
I await your urgent reply to this email so that we can proceed.
Thanks and God bless you and your family.
 
Cordial wishes,
Sgt. Oswald Lewis

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