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: "Mr John Obi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr.johnobi1976@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2014 07:57:51 -0700
Subject: PLEASE/CONFIRM

Dear Friend
 
Hope this mail fined you in an excellent condition of health, I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay. Presently I'm in South Korea for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.
 
Meanwhile I didn't forget you're past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us somehow. Now contact my secretary in Nigeria his name is REV PATRICK DAVIS and email address (rev.patdavies700@gmail.com) and ask him to send you the total sum of (USD$800,000.00) which I kept for your compensation for all your past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter
 
I appreciated your efforts at that time very much so feel free and get in touch with my personal secretary REV PATRICK DAVIS and instruct him where to send you the Certified Cashier Check of $800,000.00 to enable you cash it immediately. I am compensating you due to the fact that your information which you sent to me during the transaction is what I used to receive the fund, my partner from Paraguay only assisted financially to the success of this transaction.
 
Again, I am compensating you in case if the bank contact you to make inquires about the fund transfer of ($25.7 millions) into your account, Please inform the bank that you have received it. That is the major reason why I am compensating you, Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferings at that time. I'm very busy here because of the investment projects which me and my new partner are having at hand, Finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to My secretary on your behalf to receive the check from him so feel free to get in touch with REV PATRICK DAVIS he will send the check to you without any delay.
 
With Best
Regards,
Mr. John Obi

Anti-fraud resources: