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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: a.tobiah286@laposte.net
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 21:26:44 +0100
Subject: I WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU FASTER.


Hello DearI am writing to you as the almighty God direct me after series of prayer and fasting for God direction’s, i got your contact from a database found in internet while searching for a reliable and honest person who i will give this funds opportunity to his/her care to help me donate it to the orphanage poor home people global due to my illness.
I am Mrs. Abigail Ranjan Tobiah from France, but now i am undergoing a medical treatment in Burkina Faso here West Africa,  i married to Eng. Dr. Ranjan Tobiah who worked with America embassy here in Burkina Faso for nine good years before he died in the year 2008 we were married for eleven years without a child before he die and since his death i decided not to re-marry which is against my faith, when my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $10.5 Million US Dollars in Ecobank Ouagadougou Burkina Faso and i am a eyewitness to the funds, however i have been suffering from ovarian cancer disease since them i surprise the doctor says to me that i will not survive to live longer more than next two month due to the damage infection operation which i did recently and i struggle to write you this memorandum in tears/sorrow through the help of my laptop computer beside my sick-bed hospital.
Therefore i have instructed the Ecobank management to transfer the capital to a foreigner that will apply after i have gone to released the riches to the person, because i sent to Ecobank the doctor report of my physical condition says i will not survived longer, and i took this decision because i don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are immoral unbeliever and i don't want my husbands hard earned money to be misused by unbelievers, and also be conscious to know that the account pronounce has motionless shown no activity deposits or withdrawal of money over a long period since i have been suffering from cancer disease as i declare, please obey Ecobank if the management ask you to activate my dormant account it is vital to act upon.
Please i want you to always pray for me because the almighty God is my shepherd, my happiness is that i lived a life of a worthy worship for that reason don’t betray the orphanage poor home people as soon as you take out this capital $10. 5 Million From Ecobank custody, make sure you take 80% out of this total amount of capital to the charity orphanage home in your country and survive with the remaining 20% okay.
And you should know that this contract is not for child play for that reason if you agree to pay Ecobank the re-activating processing fee concerning the dormant account as i mention previous, get back to me immediately to allow me give you the information of the Ecobank to enable you contact them to release the funds$10. 5 Million Dollars to your bank account information.
I wait to hear from you faster because i am afraid no one knows what will happen to me next.Mrs Abigail Ranjan Tobiah.

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