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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: "Dr. Idris Ibrahim" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sarahmesutli@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2024 15:58:22 -0400
Subject: Important Notification Regarding Compensation Funds

Dear Recipient,
 
We wish to inform you that we have been actively working to eliminate fraudsters and scam artists in Africa, collaborating with the Organization of African Unity (OAU), United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), and the FBI.
 
Our efforts have successfully led to the apprehension of several scammers operating in various African countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire. They are currently in government custody and will soon be presented before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for legal proceedings.
 
During the investigation, we managed to recover some funds from these fraudsters. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has directed that the recovered funds be distributed among 10 fortunate individuals worldwide as a form of compensation.
 
You are receiving this notice because your email address was discovered in one of the scammer's files during our investigation, which may indicate that you have been victimized. As such, you are eligible for compensation amounting to $950,000.00, which has been allocated to an ATM card (Card Number: 4061730091760736).
 
As one of the selected beneficiaries, arrangements have been made for your payment to be delivered to you via an ATM VISA card at your postal address. You will be able to withdraw a maximum of $5,000 per transaction from any bank ATM machine until the funds are fully accessed.
 
The ATM card, along with your security PIN, will be sent to you via courier service, depending on your preferences.
 
To proceed with this transaction, please contact the designated agent, Ms. Sarah Mesutli, using the contact information below:
 
CONTACT AGENT NAME: Ms. Sarah Mesutli
Email: sarahmesutli@gmail.com
 
You will need to provide the following information in your email:
 
    Your Full Name
    Your Age
    Your Full Address
    Direct Contact Phone Number
    Your Occupation
 
We advise you to refrain from communicating with anyone else regarding this payment, as you are on the shortlist to receive the ATM card funds.
 
Thank you for your understanding as you follow these instructions. We look forward to hearing from you today.
 
Best regards,
Dr. Idris Ibrahim 
 

Anti-fraud resources: