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: Salimah Ibrahim <francis.chinedu11@gmail.com>
Reply-To: salimah.ibrahim2@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2021 05:00:20 -0800
Subject: A letter from Ms Salimah

Dear Friend,

My name is Salimah Ibrahim. I am from Libya, I'm 26 years old, 5.11 ft
tall, never married before. Presently I am residing in the refugee camp
here in Accra Ghana West Africa as a result of the civil war fought in my
country Libya by former president Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. I decided to
let you know everything about me because I have faith and it was God's
leading me to know you after my fasting by offering prayers to him.
My late father Dr.Ibrahim Mustapha was the Director of the National Oil
Company of Libya before the rebels attacked our house one early morning and
killed my father and my mother instantly. I was secured by the UNHCR,
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Accra Ghana. I was brought
here in Ghana by the help of UNHCR Accra Ghana where I am now living as a
refugee.

Before my late father died, he deposited the total sum of $11.7 Million
Dollars (Eleven Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with
a Bank for me and used me as his next of kin.

My Dearest, I kept this secret to people in the camp here, So in the light
of above i will like you to keep it to yourself and don't tell it to anyone
for i am afraid of losing my life and the money if people here both in my
country or my late father's colleagues gets to know about it. Remember I am
giving you all this information due to the love and trust I deposed on you.
I like honest and understanding people, truthful and a man of vision, trust
and hard work.

I want you to stand for me and help me to receive my late father's
inheritance money through your bank account.
I want you to help me to receive the money and also help me to use it for
business investments while I continue my education.

I am sending you an email from the Reverend Computer, In this camp we are
not allowed to go out, It's just like one staying in the prison and I hope
by God's grace I will come out from here soon. I don't have any relatives
now who I can go to, all my relatives ran away in the middle of the war, I
am living in the women's hostel because the camp has two hostels, one for
men and the other for women.

Thanks, and regards
Salimah Ibrahim

Anti-fraud resources: