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.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Douglas Williams" <williamsdou@nsk.biz>
Reply-To: wllmsdouglas8@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 08:32:21 -0700
Subject: Compliments of the day and greetings to you and to your entire family


Greetings,

It is based on the information and recommendation satisfactorily gathered
concerning you/your company that I have decided to discuss this project with
you.Please note that my contacting you is to enable us talk and to establish
trust which I feel would be the basis of our cooperation.

My Name is Mr Williams Douglas, Head of Contract Payment Committee. My
Committee is responsible for processing of contract payments on completed
projects.

This information which I am about to disclosed to you is very confidential,
read carefully and get back to me for details.

It is about a Contracting Company here in Benin owned by a Foreign
Contractor who has an unpaid contract fund (Euro 5.8Million), for supply and
installation of Industrial Equipments to the Benin Mines & Energy Industry
.This contract project was completed in November. 2003 But unfortunately the
contractor, His wife and the only child died in a plane crash before the
contract payment was approved.

See details of the plane crash from any of the below Website;
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-12/26/content_293549.htm

Upon receipt of the completion report from the site inspectors, My office
secured the release of the fund and subsequently, the fund were deposited in
one of the Financial Company in Netherlands,Global Financial & diplomatic
security network Amsterdam , Netherlands in the name of the
contractor/firm.But since 2004, the fund was deposited, I have been
expecting any of deceased's relatives to come for the claim but till today,
no body has shown up,so from all indications, none of His relatives is aware
of this fund. This is a top secret and no other person here know about this,
everyone believes that the deceased contractor has received his contract
fund.

It is on this note that I decided to contact you to use my position to
recommend you as the business partner to the deceased, so that this fund
will be released to you and you will have 40% while 60% will be for me.

There is no risk involved and all documents to facilitate the smooth
conclusion of this transaction are legitimate and officially in order.

I will give you details when I hear from you.

Thanks,

Mr Williams Douglas

Anti-fraud resources: