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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: "Gérald Cossette" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <memoletter@outlook.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2017 23:06:15 +0200
Subject: Hello Friend,

IMMEDIATE RELEASE ORDER ON YOUR FUND.
Hello Beneficiary.
 
I am Mr. G?rald Cossette, the Director of Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis (FTARA), working as representative. In the course of a recently concluded 2017 investigations and subsequent arrests of suspected fraudsters and scammers in Africa region, in collaboration of the present governments of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina faso, South Africa and United Kingdom, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis security operatives have so far arrested and prosecuted over 300 government and banking officials and arrest is still going on.
 
So far, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis security operatives have also recovered about $5.1 Billion from both cash in accounts and properties and assets confiscated. It is from the address books of the arrested officials that your email address was recovered. Right now, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis (FTRA) and their Africa Union (AU) counterpart is paying a $2.6M compensation to those whose emails addresses and other personal data are recovered from these arrested officials, and also paying full contract or inheritance and wining amounts to those with provable information qualifying them as genuine contractors and beneficiaries of funds in the affected African countries.
 
Which Category do you fall? Have you been getting emails for payments from these countries? OR are you a legitimate contractor and fund beneficiary in any of the affected African country? You are advised to reconfirm the below listed Information to enable us facilitate an immediate payment for you.
 
1 Your full names
2 Your present contact address.
3 Your telephone & Fax numbers.
4 Your Occupations/age/sex.
5 Your Private Email Address.
 
Get back immediately.
 
Yours Faithfully
Mr. Gerald
 

Anti-fraud resources: