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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: "Mr Robert" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rw13259@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 04:50:06 -0700
Subject: Urgent Reply Needed

Attn: Sir.
Dear My Good Friend,
 
With due respect, my name is Robert Williams ,  a consultant working  with  one of the financial institutions  here in XXXXXX as well as a very good trusted friend to one of the customers of this outfit. I write to seek your kind collaboration and partnership to handle a fortune worth, XXXXXXXXX, which was deposited by this late client/friend of mine in the said financial institution. Due to the fact that some few managers of the outfit are aware that my friend, who was the original depositor of the said XXXX is death, they have moved the XXXXX secretly out of the outfit and kept it in a Security Management Vault waiting to be shared among themselves in few months should the Partner/Foreign Associate to the late man don’t come forward to claim the fortune.
 
Knowing all these and their evil plans, I have written to the outfit and eventually, notified them that the Foreign Associate/Partner to the late man has been in communication with me regarding the XXXXXX and that the person is making plans to move the XXXXXX out of here and that as soon as the person is set, I shall inform them, in which the bank has acknowledged my letter and are waiting to hear from me.
 
My good friend, it’s based on this reason and the fact that I don’t want these few guys working in this financial institution to take these XXXXX for their own personal used that I decided to contact you seeking your collaboration and partnership to claim the said fortune from the financial institution to enable us jointly manage it as partners in your Country.
 
Should you, be interested to handle and invest this fortune with me in your Country or any other good destination you may deem okay, please, kindly revert back to me for further details. We shall discuss and agree on modalities of sharing.
 
I‘ll stops for now while I wait your positive message from you.
 
Thanks and Regards,
Mr Robert Williams
 

Anti-fraud resources: