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: "Dr. Okoro David Bowers" <saudiak@verizon.net>
Reply-To: "Dr. Okoro David Bowers" <david.bowerrs@outlook.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2015 12:39:27 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Thanks For Your Kind Understanding


 Dear/Friend 
Greetings to you Friend, it's just for my urgent need for a foreign business partner that made me contact you in this manner, i am a banker by profession currently holding the post of Auditor General here in our Bank, I am 52 years old and Married with 3 lovely kids, 
It may Interest you to hear that I am a man of peace and Integrity.I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us, as the Auditor General, it is my duty to send in a Financial report to my head Office at the end of each 
business year. On the course of year 2013 business report, I discover a deposit in our auditing course and also have the opportunity of transferring a left over funds ($7,500,000.00 USD) Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars belonging to a deceased client who died over here. 
Since he died, the bank have made every effort to locate any of his family members but to no avail, I decided to place this fund on what we call SUSPENSE/ESCROW ACCOUNT without any Beneficiary. As an Officer of the Bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so this informed my contacting you for us to work so that you can assist me to receive this money into your bank account as the next of kin to the account. 
I am inviting you for a business deal where this money '$ 7.5 million' can be shared between us in the ratio 60/40, Note there are practically no risk involved now and in future. It will be bank to bank transfer, all I need from you is your honesty and as my foreign trustful beneficiary for you to equally not sidetrack me because the money will be transferred to you in your country abroad. 
If you agree to my business proposal, kindly send me your direct mobile phone number with your feedback or question if any. i will reply you with more convincing/full details. 
Best Regards. Dr.Valentine Gogoh

Anti-fraud resources: