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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: Bella F Dave <bfd20123@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2014 11:30:11 +0100
Subject: jvpp inquiry from you

Accra Ghana
Tel/Fax: +233 302409790

Dear friend,

My names are James Wilson representing Crystal Consult &
Associates, a Legal Firm in Accra Ghana.

Having gone through your profiles in the internet, I wish to notify you
that my Late client died without a WILL and he deposited with a bank here
the sum of Eleven Million, Seven Hundred & Fifty Thousand United States
Dollars (US$11,750,000.00). The Late client until his death was a member of
the Helicopter Society and the Institute of Electronic & Electrical
Engineers, a famous Business Man and also a Contractor.After several
unsuccessful attempts to locate any supposed next of kin of his over the
years, I decided to track his last name via the Internet to locate any
member of his family hence I contacted you. I am contacting you to assist
me in receiving the fund with your facilities to your country before it
gets confiscated by the Bank where it is being deposited because one of his
names tallies with yours.It is important to let you know why am contacting
you is because the account is supposedly a corporate account wherein i will
write to the company introducing you as the partner of the late client.

The bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin to my
client or his account shall be declared dormant or confiscated at the
end of the fiscal year. According to him this money is to support the
humanitarian activities and to help the poor and the needy in our
society. Please endeavor to get back to me as soon as possible to
enable me conclude my job; You are advised to contact me via this
personal email address: E-mail: kwsmith68@gmail.com for more
details.

Await your prompt response without any further delay.
Best regards
Yours in Service,
Wilson James

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