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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.

 

 

Please note about this email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Princewill Daura" <princewilldaura01@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 11:01:55 +0000
Subject: Dear Mahoney

FROM THE DESK OF MR. PRINCEWILL DAURA.
SAVANNAH TRUST BANK NIG. PLC
BILLS AND TREASURY DEPARTMENT
30/32 CREEK ROAD APAPA
LAGOS - NIGERIA.

Dear Mahoney,

With presumed reliance, let me introduce myself. I am MR. PRINCEWILL DAURA,  Manager Bills and Treasury Department with the Savannah Trust Bank of Nigeria Plc.  I got your contact over the Internet in my search for the relatives of one of our  numerous customers who died accidentally alongside with his family.

During our routine check in my branch, I discovered an abandoned sum of ($15.8M  USD) Fifteen Million, Eight hundred thousand United States Dollars in an account  belonging to one of our foreign customers Mr.Randy Mahoney, an expatriate that was  working with one of the leading Oil Company in Nigeria before his accidental death  alongside with his entire family on Saturday 4th May 2002 via the ill-fated EAS  Airline Crash. This incident was highly publicized. You may visit the following  websites to confirm this incident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm 

http://www.usafricaonline.com/ngrkanocrash.html

Ever since then, several attempts have been made to locate his relatives without  success. So far, valuable efforts has been made to get to his people but to no  avail, as he had no known relatives. More because he left his next of kin column  in his account opening forms blank. I have been expecting his relatives or next of  kin to come over and claim his money because it cannot be claimed unless somebody  applies officially for it as his next of kin as indicated in our banking guide.  Unfortunately, I discovered that all his supposed next of kin (his wife and  children) died with him over the plane crash incident. Over the years, I decided  to look for the necessary papers relating to the deposit in order to make business  out of it as the deposit was made in my branch. Now that all papers are ready, I  am asking for your assistant to release the money to you as his relation/next of  kin for safekeeping and subsequent disbursement. I know that a transaction of this  magnitude will make any one worried and apprehensive but I am assuring you not to  worry, as all will be well at the end of this endeavor. Arrangements have been  perfected for a smooth operation.

You are being contacted because you share the same name with the deceased. Since  nobody showed up for his money and I don't want it to go back into Federal  Government account as unclaimed bill when the next audit is conducted. The banking  law and guideline here stipulates that such money if remain unclaimed after, will  be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed effect. The request of a  foreigner to act as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that  the customer was a foreigner and a Nigerian cannot stand as next of kin to a  foreigner. You are most qualified in this transaction as you share the same name  with the deceased. I am ready to negotiate the mode of sharing with you. I will  visit your country for the disbursement/investing of my share according to the  percentages we agreed upon after the transfer of the money to your account.
 
I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100% hitch-free  and that there is absolutely no risk at all in this as I have concluded the  modalities for a smooth operation and my position guarantees its successful  execution. All I require is your honest co-operation, a guarantee of your  sincerity and capability to enable us conclude this deal. Due to the sensitive  nature of this transaction, I advice that you maintain absolute confidentiality  while it lasts.

Trusting to hear from you immediately, Please kindly reply to princedaura@post.cz.

Yours Sincerely
MR. PRINCEWILL DAURA.

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