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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: Alan Reid <Veronica@saice.org.za>
Reply-To: <mr.alanreid@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:14:57 +0000
Subject: READ AND REPLY

Good day,

I am Mr. Alan Reid, personal assistant to late Mr. Abe Krok, a South African gambling tycoon and one of the country's richest men in South African.

SOURCE OF FUNDS:

I have a profiling amount in an excess of forty million five hundred thousand united states dollars, which I seek you to accommodate for me. You will be rewarded with 40% of the total sum for your partnership. Can you handle this? As his personal assistant, I was authorized to transfer money out of South Africa, of one of his numerous gambling business deals.
 
The funds have since left the shores of South Africa to a Africa private financial institution where the final crediting is to be carried out in 2012. While I was on the process, my boss got seriously ill for long and later died on Januaray 22, 2013. I have placed on hold all transactions concerning this amount.

YOUR ROLE:
 
All I need from you is to stand as the beneficiary of the above mentioned sum and I will re-profile the funds with your data, which will enable the financial firm to transfer the sum to you. I have decided to use this sum to relocate to the American continent to invest in good and profitable business and never to be connected to any of my late boss gambling business again. Non of my boss family member knew about the existence of this funds because it was a secret gambling business deal. presently I am in Burkina Faso.
 
The transaction has to be concluded as soon and as I confirm your readiness to proceed with me, I will provide you with details on how to execute this transaction.
 
Looking forward to your urgent reply.

Regards,
Mr. Alan Reid.

Anti-fraud resources: