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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Colonel James Frank" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <coljfrank1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:38:37 -0600
Subject: please get back to me From Colonel James Frank,

Dear Friend,
 
My name is Colonel James Frank. I am an American soldier presently on active service with Squadron battalion here in Afghanistan. I served with the Third Infantry Division in Iraq since 2003, before thousand of my lucky colleagues were pulled out in August last year,
 
leaving my superior and myself among the unlucky ones redeployed to Afghanistan where I am serving presently.
 
During my call to duty in Iraq, my superior and I moved US $ 18.5 million (Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) being part of funds recovered from late Saddam Hussein during a search in one of his palaces in 2003. Through the assistance of a Senior Red Cross Delegate to Iraq, this fund has been safely moved out of Iraq to a secured location.
 
You can go to this web link to read about the events that took place here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm
 
Basically, since my superior and I are still on active service, we cannot continue to keep these funds in the secured location due to classified information we received from our "Contact Person" where the funds are deposited. Hence my Superior Officer has authorized me to look for a reliable and trust worthy person that could assist us to retrieve the funds immediately for investment placements. This is why I am sending this mail to you, seeking your urgent intervention and assistance.
 
Once you retrieve the funds, you shall take 30% of it, 5% of it will be set aside for expenses while my superior and I shall require your candid assistance to place the remaining 65% in a good investment platform in your country on our behalf. Due to my call of duty here coupled with the secret nature of this transaction, I prefer you communicate with me through email at the moment. I am writing you now because there is no trace on this fund as we have returned some of the funds to the Iraq government through our infantry commander but this fund in question is undisclosed.
 
If you know you could keep this transaction very secret, please get back to me on this my
 
private Email: coljfrank1@gmail.com
 
 
Respectfully submitted,
Colonel James Frank,

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