joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: =?big5?q?Qin=20Wang?= <qin_wang860@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: qin_wang862@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 10:41:51 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: GREETINGS.


§Ú¦³·sªº¹q¶l¦a§}¡I§A²{¥i¹q¶lµ¹§Ú¡Gqin_wang860@yahoo.com.hk

FROM THE DESK OF:

MR.WANG QIN

HANG SENG BANK LTD.

DES VOEUX RD.BRANCH

CENTRAL HONG KONG

HONG KONG.


Dear Friend,


I am Mr. Wang Qin, credit officer of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Hong Kong. I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On October 6, 1999, an American consultant/contractor with the Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation, Mr. Smith Lawrence made a (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$68,000,000.00 (sixty-eight Million Dollars only) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Hong Kong Solid Minerals Corporation that Mr. Smith Lawrence died from an automobile accident.


On further investigations I found out that he died without making a will, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore made further investigations and discovered that Mr. Smith Lawrence did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$68,000,000.00 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 the Hong Kong Law, under china's foreign and defense affairs, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, such funds will revert to the ownership of the Chinese Government for financing military operations, such as purchasing of arms and ammunitions for the military. In order to avert this negative development, I will like to seek for your permission as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Mr. Smith Lawrence so that the fruits of this old man's labor will not be use for financing weapons which will further enhance the courses of war in the world in general.


The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 60% for me and 30% for you and 10% for expenses incurred in the course of the transaction. There is no risk at all as my attorney will do all the paperwork for this transaction and with my position as the credit officer guarantees the successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please reply immediately. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and that will help you understand the transaction.



You should please observe utmost confidentiality, and be 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.

- Qin Wang


Anti-fraud resources: