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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: "gabrimatias@cantv.net" <gabrimatias@cantv.net>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:44:22 -0430
Subject: Dear beloved friend,

Dear beloved friend,

I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I am giving you my trust and wish you will give me back the trust i have given you . I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.

I am Mr. Gabril Matias James, I am 71 years old, I am  suffering from a long time cancer of the brain .From all indication my condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two  months, this is because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage. I was brought up  in a motherless babys home, and was married to my late wife for twenty  years without a child . My wife and I are true Christians, but quite  unfortunately, she was killed during the (ABIDJAN- BOUAKE) Crisis some years back.

Since her death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my   belongings and deposited all the sum of $10.2million dollars with a security company In Cote D'Ivoire Abidjan, pakaged in a trunk box, and registered as personal valuable which means the company does not know the real content of the box. Where i lived with my Late wife all Our Life.

Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management  just wrote me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the consignment after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to  somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a result of my illness, Presently,I'm with my laptop in a hospital  where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since lost my ability to walk about or do anything by myself and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any  business  of your choice and  the gain made every year or 6 months as the case may be,  distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless babys home where I come from. I want your good   humanitarian, to also use this money to fund  orphanages and widows around, 20% for you , I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take a bold step towards this issue because I have no further option. I hope you will help see my last wishes come true.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security company. I will also issue  a letter of authority, which will prove that you  are the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

Hope to hear from you soonest

Awaiting your reply
Yours Sincerely
Mr Gabril Matias James

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