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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: "Mrs Sarah Macdowells" <sarah@gmail.com>
Reply-To: rev.mitchjames@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:12:48 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Dear Friend,




Dear Friend,

There is an issue involving $800,000 USD which was called to Our Bank ECO-
BANK
from THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BENIN REPUBLIC concerning your
compensation
of $800,000 USD

The fund has been forwarded to Western Union Money Transfer payment head
office and an
instruction has come directly from Mr. Zeen Muftis of Ministry Of Finance.

He asked us to start sending your fund install-mentally $5000 per day through
western
union money transfer. This type of transfer means that you will be receiving

$5000 every day through western union until the total of $800,000 USD is
completely
transferred to you.

Today, our bank has effected your first payment of $5000 through western
union.

Now you have to Contact Rev. Mitch James on his contact info below as he is
the person
in charge of your payment.

The Western union Agent is:
Name: Rev. Mitch James
Email: rev.mitchjames@gmail.com

Money sent Through Cornelis Zwaagstra, amount sent $5,000.00 to you today. So
contact
Rev. Mitch James on the above email address and tell him to give you the
needed

information for you to pick the $5,000.00USD.

Reconfirm your address to him.

1 Your Full name: ................
2 Your Phone number: ...................
3 Your Contact address: ..................
4 Your Age: ....................................

You will also have to send them the RE- BOOST ACTIVATION fee of $140USD as
per the
instruction from the management.

Please contact Rev. Mitch James ASAP and send him the fee for him to send you
the MTCN,
TEXT QUESTION/ANSWER and SENDER’S NAME for you to pick up your first payment
of

$5000USD.

Get back to me on sarah_macdowells@hotmail.com as soon as you receives
your first
payment.

Yours in Service

Mrs. Sarah McDowell
Chief Coordinator


Anti-fraud resources: