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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: "JAMES NATHAN" <jamesnathan01@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 03:07:41 +0000
Subject: URGENT PLEASE

Dear Sir/Madam,
Good day to you, though this mail may definitely be coming to you as a
surprise, but i must crave your indulgence to introduce myself to you.
My name is James Nathan I am the credit manager with a bank here in
Spain Madrid I am contacting you in respect of the transfer of a
huge sum of money from the account of a deceased client. Though I know
that a transaction of this nature and magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, I am assuring you that everything has been taken
care of,and you have nothing to fear at all and I would be very glad if
you would allow me bring you to a clearer picture of what is on ground,
what we intend to do and how we intend to do it. I decided to contact
you due to the secrecy,confidentiality and urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION;
I was the account officer of a foreigner, named Gerald Smith who died
in an air crash along with his wife on the 31st October 1999 in an
Egyptian airline boeing 990 with other passengers on board. You can confirm
this fact from the website which was aired by the BBC WORLD NEWS:
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm>
Since his death, none of his relatives or associates have come forward
to lay claims to his funds as next-of-kin, and on my own I have made
concerted effort to locate any of his relatives but all proved abortive,
which makes me believe that nobody of his knows that he was operating
this foreign account with my bank. Based on the ethics and policies of
the bank,these funds will be declared unclaimed funds and taken to the
treasury of the bank as capital base of the bank, because already the
account has been tagged dormant because it has exceeded the normal
functional number of years. We cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for it or lays claim as the next-of-kin to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission and assistance to
present you and have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased,so that the
funds can be released and transfer to you, as all documentations will
be carefully worked out by me for the funds (US$30,500,000.00) to be
released in your favor as the beneficiary's next of kin, if not the
members of the board of directors will utilise it for their personal
aggrandisement. Because after four years as this is the fifth year going the
money will be called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and
the money shared amongst the directors of the bank, so it is on this
note i decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of
kin/beneficiary to this funds ratherthan allow the bank directors to share
this money amongst themselves at the end of the year.It may interest
you to know that I have secured from the probate commission an order of
mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavour by furnishing me with the following information if
you are interested.

1.A Beneficiary name..In order for me to prepare the document for
transfer of the funds in your name.

2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and for
easy communication between both of us.Upon your acceptance I shall send
you my identity for more confidentiality and trust in each other as i
shall trust you not to elope with this funds when it finally gets to
your account. I shall be compensating you with Seven Million dollars
($7Million dollars) on final conclusion of this project with your
assistance, while the balance, i shall use in prolific investment projects
as I
intend to retire after the conclusion of this transaction.you will be
required to:

(1) Assist in the transfer of the said sum
(2) Advise on lucrative areas for investment
(3) Assist us in purchase of properties.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavor to contact me
immediately through this box thus: james_nathan300@yahoo.com
I have bestowed in you trust please.

Regards,
Mr.James Nathan


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