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: Issaka ouattara <issakaouattara0276@msn.com>
Reply-To: issaka_ouattara@o2.pl
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2011 11:55:44 +0000
Subject: From Mr Issaka OUATTARA.

From Mr Issaka OUATTARA.
Senior Bill and Exchange Manager,
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK-(ADB).
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.
 
Dear Friend,
 
I am Mr Issaka OUATTARA. Senior Bill and Exchange Manager of African Development Bank (ADB). I am writing following an opportunity in my office that will be of immense benefit to both of us. In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of US12.5million Dollars (Twelve million five hundred thousand US Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Mr. Morris Thompson an American who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31st, 2000, including his wife and only daughter.
 
Since we got information about his death, the bank have been expecting his next of kin or relatives to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Unfortunately I learnt that his supposed next of kin being his only daughter died along with him in the plane crash leaving nobody with the knowledge of this fund behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin or beneficiary of the funds for safety keeping and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and I don't want this money to go back into Government treasury as unclaimed bill since I and you can be able to retrieve it from this bank and share respectively without any problem.
 
The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that such money remained after ten years the money will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed funds; I agreed that 35% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, while 65% will be for me. I will visit your country for the disbursement according to the percentages indicated above once this money gets into your account. Please be honest, sincerity to me and trust is our WATCHWORD in this transaction.
 
Note this transaction is confidential and 100 % risk free. As soon as you receive this mail you should contact me by return mail. Please note that all necessary arrangement for the smooth release of these funds to you has been finalized. Reply through my personal email: issaka_ouattara@o2.pl
 
We will discuss much in details when I do receive your response.
 
Please contact me for further directives.
 
Best regards,
Mr Issaka OUATTARA.
 
 

Anti-fraud resources: