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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: LINDA LAGU <ms.nyagoleen@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ndlagu1999@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2020 09:51:44 +0100
Subject: Auto Delivery Notification (Red)

------ Forwarded message -----------
From: LINDA LAGU <ndlagu1999@gmail.com>
To: disclosed-recipient:;
Date: Mon,26 June 2020 22:58:48 +0100
Subject: GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

Please permit my email. My name is Linda Lagu. I am 16 years old. I am from
the Republic of South Sudan. I am the daughter of Late Yanga Lagu of
blessed memory. I am now an orphan as a result of the death of my parents
and two siblings. I lost my parents and two siblings a few months ago
during the recent conflict in our country South Sudan. My parents and two
siblings were among the victims of the last recent conflict in my country
South Sudan. My parents were brutally killed alongside my siblings by some
anti government gunmen that stormed our village. It was a very sad incident
and an unbearable loss to me. May their soul rest in perfect peace.
https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/south-sudan/south-sudan-crisis

During the hit of the conflict I was able to run out of our village to a
neighboring village in Burkina Faso that was harboring refugees during that
time to save my own life. From there I moved to a catholic mission camp in
a neighboring country called Ivory Coast where my late father was doing
cocoa business. My late father was into buying and exportation of cocoa
products from Ivory Coast in West Africa to overseas. I have contacted you
because I want to go out of this part of the world to your country for the
total safety of my life so that I can be able to further my education there
and also invest the money my late father left in his bank account. My late
father deposited three million five hundred thousand dollars with the bank
here in Ivory Coast for his foreign business activities.

I have succeeded in locating the bank where my late father deposited the
money in Abidjan the capital of Ivory Coast and have identified myself
properly with the bank manager and also informed him about the sad fate my
parents had suffered. The bank manager confirmed the deposit document which
I presented and said that my late father actually deposited the money in
their bank escrow account with a clause attached to it. When I asked what
the clause meant. The bank manager told me that because of my age and
limited status that the money can only be released under the agreement of
deposit they did with my late father when he deposited the money. The bank
agreed to release the money if I introduce my late father's business
partner or trustee or relation who can attest on my behalf and sign for the
release or transfer as stated in the depository agreement my late father
signed with their bank when the money was deposited.

Since I want to finally relocate to your peaceful country for investment of
the money and to continue my college education, I am constrained to contact
you. I saw your contact email address through the united nation UNICEF
website and i decided to contact you to seek assistance. I have contacted
you to plead your understanding and advice if it will be possible for you
to assist me achieve my dream of relocating to your peaceful country with
this money. I would want you to be my new guardian over this huge amount of
money my late father left behind. I would like you to help me receive the
money from the bank so that I can be able to relocate to your country for
further studies and for investment.

I want to present your name to the bank as my guardian and my late father's
overseas business partner and trustee so that the bank can contact you
officially for the transfer of the money to your bank account.

It is true that i do not know you in person and we have not seen each other
before but I pray that you will have it in your heart to assist me with all
sincerity and honesty. I believe in God that you will be honest and kind to
me and you will not betray or deny me after receiving the money in your
bank account.

Please if you can assist me with all sincerity and honesty then you can
send your contact information that the bank can use to contact you so that
i can make your name available to the bank as my guardian and my late
father's overseas business partner and trustee that will attest on my
behalf for the release of the money. I am willing to give you any amount
which you will wish to have after helping me achieve my dream of relocating
to your peaceful country with this money. I hope with your adverse
experience I can have the money successfully transferred to your peaceful
country and I will have a better life to live in your country under your
guardianship. Thank you and May God bless you and your family as you help
me achieve my dream of relocating to your country to start a new life and
further my education under your guardianship.

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