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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: "RICHARD ANDERSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <andersonrichard880018@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2020 05:46:49 -0800
Subject: URGENT PAYMENT NOTICE

Good Day,
 
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ EVERYTHING IN THIS MESSAGE, THANK YOU.
 
I believe this message will come to you as a surprise because we have never met before. My name is Richard Johnson and I am a First Class Sergeant in the U.S Army. I am from Victorville California, United States of America. I found your Email contact in an address journal online. I work with the U.S Army, but currently on a peacekeeping mission here in Iraq.
 
The information i am about to disclose to you will be of great benefit to both of us if you will accept my request to receive the cash sum of Four Million Five Hundred Thousand United States dollars {US$4,000,000.00} and parcels of gold worth over One Million United States dollars  {US$1,000,000.00} which i deposited with a private security company here in Iraq.
 
Before I proceed further, I have to tell you more about my stay here and the source of the Money and Gold. I was posted here 8 Months ago and I have been working at the Military monitoring unit base since my stay here in Iraq. We are in charge of bombs, missiles, Aircraft and Guns. As a matter of fact, I am using the U.S military device for monitoring the Aircraft, Missiles, Bomb track and radio activities to communicate with you. I am doing this secretly because We are not allowed to use cell phones, computers and laptops.
 
I am widowed with one son who is currently in the Army War College and I lost contact with him in the last terrorist attack here at the U.S Military Base camp. My wife died of breast cancer five years ago, and since then I have been single. I wish to disclose very important information to you about my stay here in Kabul, and your assistance in this matter will be highly appreciated. I need your assistance in this matter because i do not have anyone to help me out at this point, no father, no mother, no brothers and sisters. I lost my parents in an auto crash while I was still 18 years of age, and I am the only child of my parents. I once had an uncle who was very good to me, but he is late now.
 
SOURCE OF MONEY AND GOLD: My stay here has been deadly and on the other hand profitable to me. Few Months back, I and my team mates were assigned to monitor Oil projects here in Kabul Afghanistan which has really increased me financially. As a matter of fact, after monitoring the last oil project last week, we were compensated with a total sum of One Million Euros  {€1,000,000.00} each for protecting the company from terrorist attacks while the projects were going on.
 
We also recovered parcels of gold worth Billions when we invaded some terrorists camps here last months after which we were also compensated with gold worth over One Million Euros  {€1,000,000.00} each for a job well done. In order to make more money here, I had to invest the One Million Euros  {€1,000,000.00} in an Oil business because I will be punished by the military authorities if caught with such a huge amount of Money here in the Military Base Camp. Ever since i started the secrete oil deal here i have made a total sum of Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Euros {€4,500,000.00}
 
For security reasons, I saved my cash and gold in a military security box without the consent of our coordinators here. I decided not to disclose this to them because if I do, the package will be confiscated by our top officials, and I can not let them have my hard earned money and Gold. All my teammates involved in this deal have delivered their own share of the gold and cash to either their wives or family members and close friends, but mine is still here with me because i do not have anyone to help me receive my package. Right now I need someone I can trust, I mean someone who will never think of betraying me, a person  I can deliver the Two Security Boxes containing the cash and gold based on trust.
 
It is a punishable offense to keep cash here in the Camp because we are not allowed to keep cash with us for security reasons. In order to maintain good behavior, the military authority decided that our salary and allowances will be sent to our different accounts at Bank of America and we can only have access to our funds when our mission here is over.
 
As a matter of fact, everything we need is being provided by the U.S Government and we are not lacking anything here in the Military Base. Please I need you to help me receive and keep this package for me until I return home in two months time. As I stated earlier, the package is with a private security company here for safe keeping and I shall make arrangements to deliver the package to you as soon as you declare your interest to assist me in this matter.
 
I am seeking your assistance to receive and keep the money and gold because I received an  urgent notice from the Security Company a few days ago asking me to make necessary arrangements to move the box out before 25th December, 2020. According to the notice from the security company, there will be a general AUDIT by the Iraqi Government on 25th December and the Money will be confiscated by the Iraqi Government if I don't move the package out immediately. The Security company further explained the implications of not complying with this instruction as soon as possible as i do not have a registered business here to defend the source of funds.
 
I do not have the capacity to keep or invest such a huge amount of money as I do not have any profitable business idea due to the nature of my job. I summoned up courage to contact you after I found your email contact in an address journal online and I believe you have the capacity of investing the funds in a profitable business peninding when my mission here will be over.
 
SHARING TERMS: You will keep 40% of the total content of the box as your own share of the money and gold while you keep or invest 60% for me until my mission here is over.
 
Note: This is no stolen money and there are no dangers involved, all i need is your cooperation to get the package out from here. I will send you scanned copies of my picture and military Identification card In my next email, Please get back to me with your full name and other personal information if you truly wish to assist me in this matter.
 
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
 
Yours Truly,
FIRST CLASS SGT. RICHARD JOHNSON

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