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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: Methiabel Elisheva Hershkowitz <f.r.o.offrchinyerechuckwuemeka@gmail.com>
Reply-To: rosemary.pauls@mail.ru
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2023 23:05:04 +0200
Subject: Dear beloved, I would like to support all good causes!


Dear beloved,

Greetings to you!
My name is Methiabel Elisheva Hershkowitz, a retired missionary. I’m a
59-years-old deaf woman from Asturias, Spain. I am suffering from a
long-term cancer of the lungs which also affects my brain cells, and my
condition has worsened and it deteriorates daily. My doctor had advised me
that I may not live for the next month and this is because the cancer stage
has gotten to an untreatable stage.

I have decided to email you and seek your consent regarding my late
husband's funds and I sincerely hope you will understand my plight. I was
married to my late husband for 26 years without a child. My husband died
many years ago and after his death, I decided not to remarry, I sold all my
inherited belongings and deposited the sums of $10Million dollars with a
security firm, the fund is still in the security savings, and the
management just wrote me that I should provide an inheritor or rather issue
a letter of authorization to an inheritor to receive it on my behalf since
I couldn’t because of my dreadful illness as my days on earth are numbered.
I don’t want the firm to confiscate my funds.

It’s my last wish to see that the funds are allocated to an *honest person
that would help the less privileged and also donate funds to humanitarian
organizations, deaf and blind organizations, special needs children,
nursing homes, farmers, schools, welfare, causes and individuals including
the orphanages and as well take care of your family.

As soon as I receive your willingness, I will let you know what's next in
line for us to proceed ahead and all due legal documents covering the fund
will be forwarded to you. The deposit certificate of the fund and the
authorization letter.

All the processes will be done legally and transparently, please be
trustworthy and support the less privileged thereafter. Please also assure
me that you will act accordingly as I stated above and also assure me that
'I can trust you. For security reasons, please keep it confidential, away
from third parties.

I will wait for your reply.
May the Lord be with you and watch over your family.

Regards,
Methiabel Elisheva Hershkowitz

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