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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: JOHN SFIZO <johnsfizo11@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: johnsfizo@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 00:50:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: =?utf-8?B?VkVSWSBDT05GSURFTlRJQUwgQlVTSU5FU1MgUFJPUE9TQUwgRk9SIFlPVQ==?=
=?utf-8?B?4oCP4oCP4oCP4oCP4oCP4oCP4oCP4oCPLuKAjw==?=


body {margin:8px} .LW-yrriRe {font:normal x-small arial}
MR JOHN SFIZO
THE CHIEF AUDITOR (F.N.B).
JHB R.S.A.
SOUTH AFRICA

Telephone; +27 76 047 6608.

contact E-mail:  johnsfizo@gmail.com


Dear
Sir/Madam,

I know that this massage will come as a surprise to you since
we dont know each other, but for the purpose of introduction, I am Mr John
Sfizo,THE CHIEF AUDITOR of First National Bank of South Africa (F.N.B). There is
an account opened in this bank in 1998 and since 2004, nobody has operated on
this account again. After going through some files in the records, I discovered
that if I do not remit this money urgently, it would be returned to the
treasury.

The owner of the account is Mr. Smith Andreas, a foreigner and
miner at Kruger Gold Co., a geologist by profession and he died. Since 2003, no
other person knows about this account or anything concerning it. The account has
no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company
does not know anything about this account and the amount involved is
US$18,500,000.00 (Eighteen million, five hundred thousand united states
dollars).

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because the money
cannot be approved to a local bank here but can only be approved to any foreign
account because the money is in United States dollars and the former owner of
the account Mr. Smith Andreas also a foreigner.

Please reply urgently so
that I can inform you of the process and procedure to actualize this
transaction. Send also your private phone numbers, email address including
details of the account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to
face or sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive
this money into a foreign account or any account of your choice where the funds
will be safe. I will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other
investments. I need your full co-operation to make this project succeed 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 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 because this
opportunity may never come again in my life. I need a truthful person in this
business because I dont want to make mistakes. I need your strong assurance and
trust.

With my position now in my office, I wil get the neccassry
approvals for the transfer of this money to any reliable account that you can
provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending my physical
arrival in your country for sharing. Transfer will be completed through a
corresponding bank and I will destroy all documents of transaction immediately
we receive this money leaving no trace to any place. You can also come to
discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your
presence and two of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the
money going into your account.
 
 I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from
you that you are ready to receive this fund in your account. I will use my
position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this
money to your account via a coresponding bank with appropriate clearance forms
of the ministries and foreign exchange departments. At the conclusion of this
business, you will be given 25% of the total amount, 70% will be for me while 5%
will be for expenses that will be incurred during the process of transferring. I
look forward to your earliest reply through my e-mail address:

CHIEF
AUDITOR
Mr John Sfizo
Telephone; +27 76 047
6608.
contact E-mail:  johnsfizo@gmail.com

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