419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

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.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22997585499 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- martinlambo2006@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: john41@vp.pl
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 17:01:53 +0200
Subject: Compliments of the season and God's blessings.Your former
business Partner

Dear friend.

Compliments of the season and God's blessings.Your former business Partne=
r.I
am glad to inform you that I have successfully transferred the funds unde=
r
the co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay.

=A0

And presently am in Paraguay for some investment projects and medical che=
ck
up=A0 with my own share of the total sum. as you should understand that d=
uring
the period of processing the transfer that my health situation was very=A0
poor.

=A0

Meanwhile, I did not forget all your past efforts and attempts to assistm=
e
in transferring the funds despite that it failed us some how along the wa=
y.

Now I will like you to contact my secretary who is right now in Cotonou
Republic of Benin,

his name is MARTIN LAMBO his email:(martinlambo2006@yahoo.ca)
Telephone +229 97 585499And ask him to send you the total sum of One Mill=
ion
Euro=A0 Bond cheque

which I kept for you, for your compensation for all the past efforts
andattempts to assist me in this matter as I am a very strong and born
againchristian and will never easily forget all your passt efforts to ass=
ist
nomatter that i Pastor MARTIN LAMBO and instruct him where to send the mo=
ney
to you.

=A0

Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the
joyafter all the sufferies at that time. In the moment,I am very busy her=
e
becauseof the investment projects and my health which me and my new partn=
ers
arehaving at hand. Finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to =
my
secretary on your behalf in respect to that matter as well, So feel free =
to
get in touch with him in respect to that so that he will send the amount =
to
you without any delay

Yours faithfully.
Mr. john Manga
Your former business Partner.
urgent reply

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam