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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: helen attipoe <attiphel2@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2015 16:23:51 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: hi


Greetings From Miss Helen Attipoe
With all due respect, I want you to read my letter with one mind and help me. I am Miss Helen Attipoe The only daughter of late Mr.and Mrs Attipoe, My Late father was a very wealthy cocoa dealer in Lome Togo before he was poisoned to death in one of his outing to discuss on a business deal. my mother died of heart attack few months after the burial of my father . After the burial of my father on the 2nd of May 2014. My mother secretly revealed to me that i should beware of my uncle because his hand was involved in the death of my father, my mother also told me that there was a sum of USD7,200,000.00 United States dollars left in a fixed deposit account of my late father in a local bank here in my country Lome Togo, that he used my name as his only daughter for the next of kin in deposit of the fund.

My mother also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that my uncle planed with his business associates and poisoned my father, that I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose, such as real estate agent, now i am 20years old and yet to graduate before the sudden death of my parents jeopadized my academic plans hence i seek for your assistance.

Dear I am honorably seeking your assistance to help me in the following ways. 1) To provide any bank account where this money would be transferred into. 2) To stand as my guardian over this fund and co-beneficiary to receive the fund with foreign account. 3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a residential permit for me in your country. Moreover, I am willing to offer you 20 percent of the total sum as long as you assist me see that bank transfer this fund out of my country to your account overseas so that i will come over to stay with you now that my life is no more safe in my country. I want you to help me not because of the 20 percent I want to offer you but to take me as your adoptive child and take good care of my life. Please save my life. Hope to hear from you. Thanks and God Bless.

Best regards, Helen Attipoe


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