joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Richard" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <davidrichard0549@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2017 15:27:49 +0100
Subject: PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP GET BACK T0 ME ON TIME

Good morning , I need your help to claim my fund from the High Court It all happen like this. After several means to reach you to help me get the needed Clearance Certificate. I was introduce to another man from United Kingdom . by name (GEORGE BARNETT) he promise to help me. and he pay the $1,750 to get the Clearance and also help me get the truck box release from the Kotoka International Airport warehouse. all the money was deposited with the Standard Chartered Bank and transfer to the UK branch office for him. the last time I reach him on phone was when he confirm that he has receive the transfer.
 
I try to call him the follow day to know my traveling arrangement to come to his country but his telephone number was switch off. I tried it several times and send him messages without respond. I went to the Bank to complain, the Standard Chartered Bank here in Ghana fund transfer officer MR. FREDRICK MENSAH contact the UK branch regarding my transfer. the UK office confirm that the man is transferring the money to another Bank. my bank now call the UK branch to stop the transfer and return the fund back to the account. as at that time, he has already succeeded in transferring $500,000 out. Now the balance money, $14.4 million have be transfer back to me here in Ghana . I told the Bank that I do not want to transfer the money to the man any more. the cash sum is been held by the Court because my beneficiary has taking the case to Court that he made some expenses as my beneficiary, and therefore my money belong to him.
 
the Court are asking me to provide another beneficiary to help me since I do not trust the man any more  I have suffer so much please help me. I always ear about you as a good person but people around me do not want to help me.
 
The court have ask me to present another beneficiary and I want you to help me. the Court have make it know to us today that only what is required of us is the change of ownership trustee certificate/ Affidavit of Claim to my new beneficiary name  and the cash money will be release/given to us.
 
Please this time all my fund will be release to me if I have the change of Beneficiary certificate in your name as my choice of beneficiary/trustee. and the Court will release the cash and I will make arrangement how to transfer the fund to your bank account for us. and we will also remove some money out from the fund to enable us have money to pay for all other expenses and transfer charges.
 
Thank you very much as I look forward to read or hear from you. do respond back to us so that we know what to do. this is the Lawyer who has be helping me. his name is Barrister Nana Yaw Ntrakwah, I want you to call him, he has be so good to me.
 
  Please help me thank you.
 
Your Son David Richard
Tel +23326-371-0083.

Anti-fraud resources: