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: Prisca Ousmane <prisca.ousmane3@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: mrs.prisca.ousmane@hotmail.fr
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 17:05:12 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND GET BACK TO ME.





PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND GET BACK TO ME.
 
Dearest Friend,
I crave your indulgence at this mail coming from somebody you have not known before. I decided to do this after praying over the situation. You should please consider the transaction on its content and not the fact that you have not known me before. I need not dwell on how I came by your contact information because there are many such possibilities these days.
I am Mrs. Prisca O. Madaini of France, widow to Late Mr. Ousmane Madaini (for Consular of the Cote d’Ivoire embassy in Paris, France). I have been recently been diagnosed of Cancer of the Pelvic of which the doctor has told me that I may not survive. I am writing from my sick bed in a CHINESE HOSPITAL here in Cote d’Ivoire. There is this fund US$3.5 Million cash my husband deposited with a bank here in Abidjan, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire of which I am the next of kin.
With my health condition and because my husband, I have no child, I am looking for a credible person to whom I will pass the right of next of kin. This person will apply to the Bank and request for the transfer of the money and also the change of beneficiary. This is on the condition that you will take 30% of the fund for yourself, 5% used for expenses, while you will use the remaining 65% for the less privilege people in the society (Charity Foundation).
This is in fulfillment of the last request of my husband that a substantial part of the fund be used to carter for the less privileged. If this condition is acceptable to you, you should contact me immediately with your full names and contact information so that I will put you in contact with the bank directly for the change of beneficiary and also the transfer of the money. I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time you will receive the money, but you should please ensure that the money is used as l have described above.
I look forward to your response.

Regards
Mrs. Prisca O. Madaini.

Anti-fraud resources: