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 Caroline Kowan <carolinkwan@gmail.com>
Reply-To: carolinekowane@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 08:53:37 +0100
Subject: How are you my dear

--
Dear friend,

My name is Mrs. Caroline Kowan, from (Paris) France. I have been
suffering from ovarian cancer disease and the doctor says that I have
just a short time to live. For the past Twelve years, I have being
dealing on gold exportation, before falling ill due to the Cancer.

My late husband, Dr. Thomas Kowan,a retired diplomat and one time
minister of mines and Power in the republic of Ivory Coast made a lot
of money from the sales of Gold and cotton while he was a minister,
but we had no child of our own.my later husband realized through a
powerful man of God that it was evil course instituted by his brother
in other to inherit his wealth, but before then it was too late, I and
my husband agreed that he should remarry another wife but our religion
did not permit it, while planning this my husband’s brother heard it
and they planned and killed my husband at the age of 56, he died in
the month of September 2007

Now that I am very sick and according to the doctor,i will not survive
the sickness.The worst of it all is that I do not have any family
members or children to inherit my wealth.I am writing this letter now
through the help of the computer beside my sick bed. I have ($10.5
Million US Dollars) deposited in Coopec Bank here in Ivory Coast and I
am willing to instruct my bank to transfer the fund to you as my
foreign Trustee.You will apply to the bank, that they should release
the fund to you, but you will assure me that you will take 40% of the
fund and give 60% to the orphanages home in your country for my soul
to rest after i have gone.In my next email, I will send you the copy
of the Certificate of Deposit which will enable you apply to the bank
and receive the money with no case.Respond to me immediately for
further details and instructions since I am in the end times of my
life due to the ovarian cancer disease.Hoping to receive your response
as soon as possible.

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Caroline Kowan

Anti-fraud resources: