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: Margaret Spencer <monica432662@gmail.com>
Reply-To: margaret121spencer@aol.com
Date: Sat, 7 May 2022 13:57:32 +0100
Subject: My choice for you

In the spirit of the season of the Ramadan,I am sending you this mail to
accomplish a purpose which was delegated to me by my late husband before
his death.
I am happy to use this season to accomplish that purpose..

Actually I do not know you,I got to single you out from a search which I
conducted online but from what I am going to share with you here,you will
have reason to appreciate me and accept me as your good friend indeed.

Before I proceed, please permit me to introduce myself,My name is Margaret
Spencer, I am a 74 Years old widow of Late Michael Spencer who died
alongside our only child David in a Plane crash on Monday the 7th of
September 1998 while they were flying from New York to Geneva.

Because my husband was a successful businessman and a philanthropist,we
usually give support to the less privileged and indigent people,donating
most of our assets and funds to charity.This is the gesture we continued
with until the death of my husband.

However at one time,my husband told me a story of how he received an
anonymous help from a stranger he met through the internet who gave him a
lot of money through which he became successful in life,my husband made me
to make him a promise that even if he dies,i should not fail to reciprocate
the same gesture to another individual and that I am willing to accomplish
now.

Unfortunately I am down with cancer which after several failed treatments
and cross examinations,the doctors concluded that i may not live till the
next two months. Because I am a Christian and believe in God's miracle,I
want to use this opportunity to accomplish the promise i made to my late
husband by locating an unknown individual and reciprocate that gesture to
him or her

I am very happy to search and locate you by the spirit of God as the
stranger i am looking for .I have searched for several people but the
Spirit of God instead redirected me to you so i will like to nominate you
as my choice to become the beneficiary of the money we have left in the
bank.
Because of my health status,I want you to receive the money before i die.

The money is a balance of $5 Million dollars which is in my bank account
with the American Express bank and I have instructed my bank manager to
assist whoever I will be introducing to him to receive the money. So I will
be introducing you to the bank manager to receive the money.

One thing i will request from you is that when you receive the
money,please try to give out at least %15 to the poor and indigent people
in the street especially those affected by the harsh economic condition of
the Covid-19 Pandemic.They will in turn reciprocate the gesture to others
and it continues like that.This will help me to accomplish my late
husband's wish.

I will only need you to send me your data including your full names
,contact address and telephone /Whatsapp number so i can use them to write
my letter to my bank to instruct them to release the money to you.

If you will accept my offer,kindly send me the information to my email
margaret121spencer@aol.com and as soon as I receive it,I will immediately
write the letter and send it to the bank so they can release the money to
you.

With love from your friend and donor
Ms.Margaret Spencer

Anti-fraud resources: