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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: "vincent chris" <vinachris002@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 07:31:33 +0000
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

Mr.VINCENT CHRIS
NO 30,VICTORIA STREET
JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA
Email:vinachris002@hotmail.com
phone: +27 73 585 34 90

URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.
Hellow Dear.

I know that this message will come to you as a surprise since we don’t
know
each other before, but for purpose of introduction, I am MR.VINCENT CHRIS
the
Manager of AMALGAMATED BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA.(ABSA).There is an account
opened in this bank in 1980 and since 1990 nobody has operated on this
account again. After going through some old files in the records,I
discovered
that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for
nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Smith B.Andreas, a foreigner, and
a miner at Kruger gold co. a geologist by profession and he died since
1990.No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it,
the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as
well that his company does not! know anything about this account and the
mount involved is(USD$42.3M)Forty two million three hundred thousand USA
Dollar.
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be
approved to a local bank here in SOUTH AFRICA, but can only be approved to
any foreign
account because the money is in USA dollars and the former owner of the
account, Mr. Smith B.Andreas is a foreigner too. I know that this message
will come to you as a surprise as we don't know ourselves before.
We will sign an agreement, but be sure that it is real and a genuine
business. Please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to
take immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax number including
the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I want us to
meet face to face or sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that
you can receive this money into a foreign account or any account of your
choice where the fund will be safe. And I will come your country for
withdrawal and sharing and other investments.
I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner with foreign
account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full co-operation to make this
work fine because the management is ready to approve this payment to any
foreigner, who has correct information of this account, which I will give to
you later, if you are able and willing to handle such amount in strict
confidence and trust according to my instructions and advice for our mutual
benefit because this opportunity will never come again in my life. I need a
truthful and trustworthy person in this business because I don't want to
make mistake,
i need your strong assurance and trust.
With my position now in the office I can transfer this money to any
foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this
money will be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for
sharing. I will destroy all documents of transacti! on immediately we
receive this money leaving no trace to any place. You can also come to
discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your
presence and two of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of
the money going into the account.I will apply for annual leave to get visa
immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund
in your account. I will use my position and influence to effect legal
approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate
clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange departments. At the
conclusion of this business, you will be given 25% of the total amount, 70%
will be for me, and while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have
incurred during the process of transferring.
I look forward to your earliest reply through my email.
Yours
Sincerely
VINCENT CHRIS
(MANAGER)

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