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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: james akane <barrjamesakane50@hotmail.fr>
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 16:39:37 +0100
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE



>From Barrister James AkaneHead,Akane legal house firm, Industriel Quartier des Elites,Cotonou-Benin Republic.Private E-Mail: barr_jameskane@yahoo.comPrivate Tel:+229 93438577. ATTN ; Dear Friend, I AM BARRISTER JAMES AKANE,PRIVATE ATTORNEY TO LATE HANSEN FERNANDEZ, HAVE BEEN MY GOOD CLIENT AS REGARD KNOWING HIS ASSET IN MY BANK. DR HANSEN FERNANDEZ, WHO OWN A MULTIMILLION CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HERE IN BENIN.SO HE IS MY CLIENT . ON THE 25TH OF DECEMBER 2003, MY CLIENT, HIS WIFE AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN WERE INVOLVED IN A GHASTLY PLANE CRASH MY CLIENT AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY UNFORTUNATELY LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE ACCIDENT. SINCE THEN I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ENQUIRIES TO THEIR EMBASSY TO LOCATE ANY OF MY CLIENT'S EXTENDED RELATIVES, WHICH HAS PROVED ABORTIVE. AFTER THESE SEVERAL UNSUCESSFUL ATTEMPTS,THE NEED TO CONTACT YOU AROSE BASED ON THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A FOREIGNER. MY MAIN REASON FOR CONTACTING YOU IS TO ASSIST ME IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY AND PROPERTY LEFT BEHIND BY MY CLIENT BEFORE THEY ARE CONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE BANK WHERE THEY ARE DEPOSITED/LODGED. PARTICULARLY, THE CONTINENTAL BANK COTONOU.WHERE THE DECEASED HAS A BALANCE SUM OF $15M(FIFTEEN MILLION) IN HIS ACCOUNT. THE BANK ISSUED A FINAL NOTICE TO ME TO PROVIDE THE NEXT OF KIN OF MY CLIENT OR THEY WILL BE LEFT WITH NO OTHER CHOICE THAN TO CONFISCATE HIS FUNDS. SINCE I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING MY CLIENT'S RELATIVES FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS, NOW I SEEK YOUR CONSENT TO PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OF MY CLIENT SO THAT THE SUM OF FIFTEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS CAN BE PAID IN YOUR NAME INSTEAD OF LEAVING IT FOR THE BANK. I HAVE ALREADY PERFECTED EVERY UNDERGROUND WORK TO BACK UP ANY CLAIM WE MAY MAKE. ALL THAT I REQUIRE IS YOUR HONEST COOPERATION TO ENABLE US SEE THIS ARRANGEMENT THROUGH. I GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT I WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW. PLEASE REPLY ME IF YOU CAN ASSIST. FINALLY KINDLY GIVE ME YOUR CONFIDENTAIL PHONE/FAX NUMBERS SO THAT I CAN FAX OR ATTACH A SPECIMEN APPLICATION WHICH YOU WILL RE-TYPE AND SUBMIT TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN,ALSO YOUR OFFICE AND RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THIS,I HAVE RESOLVED ALREADY THAT WE CAN SHARE THE MONEY 50% TO ME AND 50% TO YOU. PLEASE VIEW THIS WEBSITE ;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3348445.stm
BEST REGARDS,BARRISTER JAMES AKANEPrivate Tel:+229 93438577.Private E-Mail:barr_jameskane@yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________
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