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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: "Ms.Joy Kofour" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <joykofour@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 2 May 2017 21:36:43 -0400
Subject: Re: 3rd May 2017.

Dear Friend
 
My name is Ms.Joy Kofour I am the regional manager of Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana Takoradi Branch in the western region of Ghana.
 
I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I,as the regional manager of the Standard Chartered Bank it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end of each business year.
 
On the course of the year 2013 business report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the manager made Three Million Seven hundred and thirty thousand united state dollars ($3,730,000.00) which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of.
 
I have placed this funds on what we call ESCROW CALL ACCOUNT with no beneficiary.
As the bank manager of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money in your bank account and get 35% of the total funds as commission.
 
There are practically no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank transfer, and all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of these funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account.
 
Thanking you in advance for your kind and urgent response, more so for keeping our proposal to yourself.
 
 
Best regards,
Ms.Joy Kofour
joykofour@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources: