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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.

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 BEN " <"www."@ever.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: " MR JOHN BEN " <moneygram787@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2017 11:08:34 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Manager Director for MoneyGram California


>>>>> Dear Customer
>>>>>
>>>>> The International Monetary Fund Annual Compensation from USA.
>>>>> The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is compensating some scam
>>>>> victims
>>>>> and your email address was found in the scam victims list. This Money
>>>>> Gram®office has been mandated by the IMF to transfer your compensation
>>> to
>>>>> you via Money Gram®Money Transfer.
>>>>>
>>>>> However, we have concluded to affect your own payment through Money
>>>>> Gram®Money Transfer, 5000.00 pay day until the total sum of $2.5
>>>>> Million
>>>>> United States is completely transferred to you the receiver. We cannot
>>> be
>>>>> able to send the payment with your email address alone, we are hereby
>>>>> needed your information to where we will be sending the funds.
>>>>>
>>>>> Here is the information to pick up your first payment of $5000 through
>>>>> MoneyGram store close to you.
>>>>>
>>>>> (Receivers name)............
>>>>> (Country)..................... ..
>>>>> (Address)..................... ...........
>>>>> (Phone Number).....................
>>>>> (Your Age).......................... ........
>>>>> (ID copy)............. ..................
>>>>> (Your Email Address)...................
>>>>>
>>>>> NOTE: That your payment files will be returned to the IMF within
>>>>> 24hours
>>>>> if we
>>>>> did not hear from you because this was the instruction given to us by
>>> the
>>>>> IMF
>>>>> office here in USA. We will start the transfer as soon as we received
>>>>> your information. You are hereby warned not to communicate or
>>>>> duplicate
>>>>> this
>>>>> message for any reason what so ever because the US FBI is already on
>>>>> trace
>>>>> of
>>>>> the criminals from Africa.
>>>>>
>>>>> NOTICE: To text or call+1(234) 231 4932

Anti-fraud resources: