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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: jozulu@jmail.co.za
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:47:29 +0200
Subject: Urgent Transaction!!

FROM: MR.JOSEPH ZULU.
EMAIL:jozulu@sify.com
TEL/FAX:+27-8-6512-4389.






ATTN: DIRECTOR/CEO.





REQUEST FOR URGENT TRANSFER.

In my quest for a reliable and trusted partner for a highly important and
lucrative venture cum investment, I came across your contact as a
reliable partner for this venture. I am Mr. Joseph Zulu, one of the senior
Accountants of AMALGAMATED BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (ABSA). To highlight you on
this proposal, there is an account opened in this bank since 1980 till 1990
after which, nobody has operated on this account again till date. 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. Ben Andreas, a foreigner, and a miner at Kruger gold co., a geologist
by profession who died since 1990. No other person knows about this and my
investigation further proved to me that his company does not know
anything about this account and the amount involved as he made it his personal
account.
The money outstanding before his death was (USD 26 Million) Twenty Six Million
United States Dollars.

I am now contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to
a national with a local bank account here. But can only be approved to
any foreign account because the money is in US dollars and the former owner, a
foreigner. I implore you to act as foreigner and beneficiary to the
fund as I will then intimate you on the processes abound as well as procure all
the necessary documents required to lay claim to the money.

If you are capable and willing to handle such amount in strict confidence and
trust
according to my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit I shall highly
appreciate. I need trusted person in this business because I do not
want to make mistakes; I need your strong assurance and trust. With my position
now in the office I can effect transfer of this money to
any foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this
money will be intact pending my arrival in your country
for disbursement. On the alternative, you can come down here to South Africa for
us to meet one to one.

Send me your private telephone and fax numbers upon receipt of this proposal, if
you genuinely want to assist and be a co-partner. As soon as you receive this
money into a foreign account or any account of your choice where the fund will
be
safe. I will proceed to your country for onward percentage distributions and
investment. I need your full co-operation to make this work 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 immediately. 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, for your assistance,
25% of the total amount will be accrue for you, 70% for
me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the
process of the transfer .

I implore you to maintain the absolute confidentiality of this transaction.

Your earliest response is urgently awaited.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Joseph Zulu.



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