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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: "Mrs Helen Donovan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <helendonovan@superposta.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jul 2013 08:15:10 +0100
Subject: Greetings from Mrs Helen Donovan

Greetings

I know that this letter may come to you as a very big surprise to you; I am giving you my trust and wish you will give me back the same trust i am giving you. I hope that you will be honest to help me fulfill my final wish.

I am MRS. HELENE DONOVAN from New Zealand, I am 61 years old, and suffering from an advanced stage of esophageal Cancer, cancer of throat. From all indication my condition is really deteriorating by the day, and my Doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond two weeks, this is because the condition has reached a critical stage. I was brought up in a Motherless baby’s home, and was married to my late husband for twenty six years without a child. My husband and I lived in Benin Republic where he ran his Cotton Business, but quite unfortunately, he died in Benin in a fatal motor accident two years ago. Since then i relocated to Italy, but did not remarry.

With my present health condition ,and without any child to inherit us,i have decided to use the funds which i inherited from my late husband do charity. Now that i am about to end the race of life,i want to make amends in my ways of hereafter, I am using the funds to help the Widows and Orphanages.The funds in total of $12.7M USD in a big Safe-Deposit Box in a Security Company where my late husband deposited it himself.I will give you the contact details of the Security company once i have your promise to help me in this noble cause.

It is my last wish to see that 70% of this money is invested into any LUCRATIVE VENTURE of your choice that will be giving out proceeds to be distributed each year among the charity organizations, for alleviation of poverty among Widows and Orphans. I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I have no other option.

I hope you will help me see this last wish come true.

Please kindly write me back as soon as possible before it is too late. And reply with these details so that I will know you better before I will disclose further information about this Funds.

Names:.....................
Address:..........................
Age:......................
Occupation:..................
Your direct telephone number:..........
Marital status:..............
scanned copy of your International Passport:....

Yours sincerely

Mrs. Helene

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