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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: "Kwabenya Andrew"<joyceciti25@gmail.com>
Date:
Subject:

Dear friend,
I make this contact to you after careful thought that you might be capable of handling this transaction bearing in mind that this email contact to you is not in error.
One Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili a Malaysian businessman brought chunk of 98% pure Gold into my office for an official evaluation in cash value and for deposit.  After inspection and evaluation the exchange value was USD$5,679,358.80 . I advised him to come back after 3 banking days to enable me perfect all internal documentations for exchange value which is our banking protocol.
However,I issued him certificate of deposit valued USD $5,679,358.80 that empowers him ownership of the deposit.  After three days I did not see him I felt perhaps he may have been engaged in other business activities as a cross border multi trade businessman.
After some months I became worried about the whereabouts of Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili having exhausted all available means to locate him. Unfortunately he was unable to fill the Next of Kin form which would have made my search of him simple. In my effort to end this drama, I decided to contact his Mining location and discussed with a colleague about the difficulty in locating Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili.
It was then he disclosed that the man families members was involved in motor accident all died in a London Hospital,The shock caused him heart attack and he died same day. My colleague and I now decided to confidentially find a partner who will act and cooperate with us as the investment partner to Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili, who we shall present as his Next of Kin.
To boost the transaction, the whole information is with me alone and bank relies solely on the documented information of the deceased customer/next of kin which I am privileged to as his account Manager before he died.
It is to this end that, I confidentially seek your full cooperation as his investment partner, so we can present you as NEXT-OF-KIN to receive the value of the deposit for our mutual benefit.
Please get back to me as soon as you received this so I can communicate further to you on how we shall get this done smoothly within a few days.
Best regards,
.Kwabenya Andrew
Private Investment/Asset management officer.

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