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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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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Michael Webber" <michaelwebber902@msn.com>
Reply-To: michaelwebber55@web2mail.com
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 22:25:05 +0000
Subject: I await your response as soon as possible.

Mr. Michael Webber
AIB Bank Plc
PO Box 186
10 Finch Road
Douglas, Isle of Man.
IM99 1QE.


Dear Friend,


PRIVATE AND URGENT.

I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money
from a deceased's account. Though I know that a transaction of this
magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you
that all will be well at the end of the day.

We decided to contact you due to the urgency of this claims as we discovered
an abandoned sum of US$20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Dollars) in an account
that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire
family in a plane crash.

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to
lay claims to this money as the heir. My associate and I found you to be
from the same country and with the same surname as our client and we were in
effect compelled to contact you immediately.

We cannot release the funds from his account unless someone applies for
claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking
guidelines. Upon this discovery, we now seek your permission to have you
stand as a next-of-kin to the deceased as all documentations will be
carefully worked out by us for the funds (US$20,000,000.00)
to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next-of-kin.

It may interest you to note that we have secured from the probate an order
of mandamus to locate any of deceased's beneficiaries. Please acknowledge
receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by
furnishing me with the following;

1. Your Full name and physical address.
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers.
3. Information regarding your date of birth.

These requirements will enable us file a letter of claim to the appropriate
departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can
be made. We shall be compensating you with 4 Million Dollars on final
conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be for us. Your share stays
with you while we come over to collect the rest from you immediately it hits
your nominated account for private investment.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust we have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail through my
confidential email address only: michaelwebber@web2mail.com

Sincerely yours,

Michael Webber.


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