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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: Mrs Deborah Hendricks <jamescatoun23@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hendkdeboh@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2022 14:48:25 -0700
Subject: Please reply me

Dear beloved friend,

I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I came
across your email contact from my personal search and I believe that
you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.

I am Mrs. Deborah Hendricks, I have been suffering from
breast cancer for a long time. From all indications, my condition is
really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that
I may not live beyond next month, this is because the cancer stage has
reached a critical stage. I was brought up in a motherless baby’s
home, and was married to my late husband for twenty years without a
child. My husband and I are true Christians, but quite unfortunately,
he died in a fatal motor accident.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited
belongings and deposited all the sum of fourteen million three
hundred and thirty four thousand dollars ($USD14.334M) in a bank .
Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management
just wrote me as the legitimate depositor to inform me of the maturity
date of my deposit or rather issue a letter of authorization to
somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a
result of my illness, or they get it confiscated. Presently, I'm with
my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. I have
since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have
only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any
organization of your choice and proceeds distributed each year among
the charity organization, the poor and the motherless baby’s orphanage
homes and widows around. I must let you know that this was a very hard
decision, but I had to take a bold step towards this issue because I
have no further option. I hope you will help see my last wishes come
true.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the
bank. I will also issue you a letter of authority, which will prove
that you are the new beneficiary of my funds.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely,
Deborah Hendricks

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