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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.

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Fraud email example:

From: "Garry Wayne" <ericwong7@msn.com>
Reply-To: erikwong100@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:39:28 +0000
Subject: Urgent

Mr.Eric Wong.
Union Bank Of China,
99 Queens Road Central
Hong Kong,

Dear Friend,

I write you in good faith, hoping that you will treat this letter as a
desperate search for assistance in a matter that shall benefit both of
us.

A random search based on your locality from the Internet produced your
address, Please i apologise for this medium of contact as it appears
the only definate way i can have assistance with this matter.

I am Mr Eric Wong, Head of Private Banking, Union Bank Of China,also
account Manager to a deceased Immigrant property magnate who was
based in the U.K. and had vast business interest in Hong Kong ,also
referred to as my client.

On Monday, 31 July, 2000, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK , my client, his wife and
their two Children died in the Air France concord plane crash bound
for New York in their plan for a world cruise

I have been managing his Bank accounts here in the Hong Kong, and
some Properties which he had put out for sale. The properties which
have long been put out on sale have been paid for, and the money paid
has long been deposited into his local bank account here. I have
contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and estate left
behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared
unserviceable by my Bank.Particularly, the bank has issued me with a
notice to provide any of his next of kin or have the account
confiscated within a short period of
time.My late client has an account is valued at 18 Million United
States
Dollars Only

I therefore made further investigation,with the personel department
and discovered that did not declare any kin or relations in all his
official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank.
This sum of US$18million is still sitting in my Bank and the interest
is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year.
No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of Hong
Kong, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will revert to
the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim
the fund.

I now seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my
deceased client, so that the proceeds of his account valued at 18
Million United States Dollars Only can be paid to you, I will like
you to provide immediately your full names and address so that the
attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that
will put you in place as the next of kin.

The money will be paid to you for us to share in the ratio of 60% for
me and 35% for you and 5%, after completion,for Expenses Incurred in
the course of the transaction .There is no risk at all as all the
paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and with
my position as the Head Private Banking guarantees the successful
execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please reply
immediately to my email: wongeric03@yahoo.com.hk

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Trust
me as his Manager of his Estates, as i have all the needed information, that
this is a risk-free relationship.You should observe utmost confidentiality,
and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for
both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share
in
your country.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Thanks and regards.

Eric Wong.


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