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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.Yao" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hopemessage@naver.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2024 21:50:26 -0700
Subject: From: Yao Kwabena

Hello, Good Morning
 
Please pardon me for this unexpected message from me to you as it was because of the urgency required that prompted this communication to you just to know if we can work together to handle this matter in good faith.
  
Let me briefly introduce myself for better understanding, I am Yao Kwabena, a financial consultant writing to you from West Africa. I am compelled to initiate this communication with you due to the urgency of the matter as said above.
 
A well known  Minister in one of the African countries who is undergoing financial queries by the Authority over alleged mismanagement of $75 billion dollars looted from oil deals, has contacted me to help him move transit funds amounting to US$ 98 Million dollars deposited with a Security vault and logistics company in Ghana.
  
He has advised that the funds be moved from its present position to a reliable hand and be used for any lucrative investment abroad and therefore I am contacting you based on the information I already gave to him that I have a reliable hand in your country to handle the investment funds but the person I had in mind unknown to me passed away due to Covid-19 complication as I was reliably informed.
  
Therefore I am contacting you to know if you are capable of handling this matter by receiving and investing the funds under a 60/40 sharing ratio of the capital and the investment annual returns. Therefore should you be ready to move on with the said transaction under STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY,  kindly provide me your personal telephone/WhatsApp number for further discussion on the way forward.
  
Regards
Yao Kwabena

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