joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
 Free trial for 30 days
   jwSpamSpy
Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: mbeki_martins@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 06:18:59 -0800
Subject: GREETINGS FROM MARTINS

Dear Friend,

You may be surprised to receive my letter, however,I got your contact from the Chamber of Commerce and Trade. I have decided to contact you for confidential, urgent and rewarding joint business.My name is MR.MARTINS MBEKI I was a Personal Assistant to the Late Congo President, MARTINS MBEKI, who was assasinated in February and my aim of writing to you is because of the need for a trusted and honest person, who I can entrust the sum of US$32,800,000 (Thirty two million, eight hundred thousand USDollars). Source of the money: I and the late president secured this money in a security firm in EUROPE, in my name before his death. Now I can not travel out of SOUTH AFRICA, where I am on asylum, hence I am asking for your assistance to have this money in your care pending when I will secure travel documents to come over to your country.If you accept this offer we shall share the money as follows: for you, 25%, 75% for me. I have all the title documents to the fund which I can transfer to you to enable you have asse
ss to it. Be assured that is risk-free and legitimate. Please advise me on your position by e-mail immediately,Please I await
your prompt reply.

Martins Mbeki









Anti-fraud resources: