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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: JOY WILLIAMS <joy.williams8@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: joywilliamsj@hotmail.fr
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:38:51 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Hello My Dear,


Hello My Dear,
 
I know you will be surprised to receive this proposal. Actually I got your contact address from the Internet when I was making an intensive research for my investment in your country then I decided to contact you directly. First, I must introduce myself to you. My name is Mrs Joy Williams, former staff of Air Afrique hostess a nationality Cote d'Ivoire, I am a widow being that I lost my husband some year's ago.
My husband, late Mr Williams Solomon, was a serving director of the GOLD exporting board CI until his death. He was assassinated in September (2007) by the rebels following a political uprising.
Before his death, he deposited $8.5million ) in a suspence account in one of the leading banks here in Cote d'Ivoire and now I have located the bank However, due to my bad health situatio occasioned by cancer of the lungs PRESENTLY, I wish you to do me a favour to receive this fund in a safe account in your country or in any safer place as the beneficiary to enable you to invest it in a good business venture like real estate and industrial production for the benefit and education of my son in future, and he is only 13yrs old presently, he will be coming to stay under your kind  custody after the transfer to your bank for his education and future because my health is failing me at this present and I am very weak and down which I,m very afraid that I might not survive my present situation but God knows the best and I pray that whatever happens to me, you should take care of my son James for me. I shall be going in for a surgery operations of the cancer of
the lungs soon and desire this money to be transferred to you fast. I do not wish to leave this money in the bank because bankers might take advantage of my son's age who is just 13years old and too young to handle this kind of money.
My late husband’s relatives who should have handled this situation for me are not good type. Since my illness, they have succeeded in stealing most of my late husband's properties except this money which they do not know about and I do not want my only son James to get involved with them because they are dangerous and greedy.
I will be Introducing you to the bank here where my late husband deposited this money and confirm you as our family friend whom I wish this money to be transferred to
Remain bless as I look forward to hear from you today to give you more informations
Thanks and may God bless you.
Mrs Joy Williams

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