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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: "Mr,Paul M. Holstein" <courierdhl81@gmail.com>
Date:
Subject:

Our Investigation Ref: RTB /SNT/STB

To: Lucky Beneficiary This Is Your Only Chances;

APPROVED PAYMENT Re: ($800,000.00 USD)FOR BEING .

This is FBI special agents, Mr,Paul M. Holstein. I was delegated along
side others by the United Nations to tore round Africa, USA, Asia
and Europe to investigate fraudsters who had been in the business of
swindling foreigners especially those that has one form of transaction
/ contracts and another.

Please be informed that in the course of our investigation role, we
detected that your name and details are found into our Scammed
Monitoring Network among the victim. We also found out that you were
scammed of a huge sum of money by impostors via Western union / Money
Gram and gift cards.

Be informed here that in a bid to alleviate the suffering of scammed
victims, the United Nations initiated this compensation program and
therefore, you are entitled to the sum of Two Million Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars ($800,000.00 USD) for being a victim.

Note that the said fund has officially released to you deposited and
has deposited to the paying bank mandated by the United Nations in
your favour and we shall.

We have been able to arrest some of the swindlers, Criminals who has
been in this illicit business and will all be prosecuted accordingly.
Be informed as well that we have limited time to stay back here, and
so we advice you urgently respond to this message ASAP.

Please do not inform any of the people that collected money from you
before now about this new development to avoid jeopardizing our
investigation.

Finally, do reply so we can forward the contact information's of the
Bank for you to contact to receive your compensation accordingly as
directed by the United Nations now that they want to make things very
easier for you after seeing what you have gone through.

We urgently wait to receive your response.

Reply to: redacted@domain.name
Regards,

Mr,Paul M. Holstein
Direct email address: redacted@domain.name
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION ON ALL FOREIGN RECOVERY PAYMENT.

Anti-fraud resources: