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: Mrs Dora Zarack <mrsdorazarack@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Mrs Dora Zarack <mrsdorazarack@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 23:14:48 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Please Reply!!


Strictly for less privileged home from Mrs Dora Zarack,

Please Reply!!

Dear Respected Friend,

With
Due Respect and Humanity, I was compelled to write to you under a
humanitarian ground, however, this is not mandatory nor will I in any
manner compel you to honor against your will. I am Mrs. Dora Zarack, 59
years old with my only son, Master Anthony Jnr Zarack, 15years old.

Please
I am contacting you to let you know my desire to establish a charity
foundation in your country with this sum of US$3.5Million (Three Million
five hundred thousand United States dollars) which I inherited from my
late husband (Dr. Anthony Zarack) It is my desire to see that this money
is invested to any organization of your choice in your country and
distributed each year among the charity organizations, motherless baby's
home, mosques, churches, Schools, supporting destitute aged men and
women or whatever you may have in mind that will be to the benefit of
the less fortunate. Also use part of this money to take care of my only
son, Master Anthony Jnr Zarack.

I took this decision because I
was raised from a motherless baby's home and Presently, I'm hospitalized
where I am undergoing treatment for my upcoming breast cancer surgery
operation. Please reply as soon as possible, confirming your acceptance
to this proposition so that I will give you all the relevant information
that will authorize the release and transfer of the fund to you as my
duly assigned representative.

Thank you in advance for your Consideration and I look forward hearing from you shortly.

Regards,
Mrs Dora Zarack

Anti-fraud resources: