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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: "burton harley" <burton2008ci@fastwebmail.it>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:57:20 +0100
Subject: Dear Trusted Friend,


Dear Trusted Friend,
Greetings, Permit me to inform you my sinere desire to contact you on this
befitting Opportunities for our mutual benefit.
My name is Dr. Harley Burton, presently working as the Executive Director in
charge of Account & Audit Department of a Comercial Prime Bank in the
Republic of Côte d'Ivoire ( West Africa).
Sometime in the year 2002, a Foreign investor and crude oil broker with
several oil companies in Africa made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit in my
branch valued to the total sum of $19.5M USD.(Nineteen Million Five Hundred
Thousand United State Dollars). Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification
to his forwarding address in USA but got no reply rather the letter return
back to my office as unclaimed and finally I discovered from my private
investigation, that this customer with 3 generations of his entire family
perished in a plane crash that happened in Kenya, East Africa in the year
2003.
In line with our internal processes for account holders who have passed away
with out nominating a next of kin, I have conducted a search in good faith
to locate any of the family member of the deceased customer to claim the
estate. This has for the past years been unfruitful. According to the Laws
of my environment, at the expiration of 7 (seven) years, the deposit will
revert to the ownership of our Government if nobody applies to claim the
funds.
Presently, I have secretly retrieved all the deceased customer's account
records and files out from our bank database to ensure successful / hitch
free execution of this deal, hence I alone have the deposit details and my
bank will release the deposit to no one unless evidence of relationship with
the deceased is presented which I shall provide you with " if you are able
to work with me as a foreigner to play the role as the next of kin to this
deceased customer and receive his deposit into your account for our onward
disbursement so that this deceased customer's outstanding deposit will not
go into the pocket of some corrupt Government officials. Acting in this
capacity really is simple as I will explain in detail to you when I get your
positive response.
PERCENTAGE RATIO: I proposed that when the funds are been paid into your
account, it will be shared 50% for me and 35% for you and the outstanding 5%
to remburse any miscellaneous expenses incurred by both parties during
transaction, while the rest 10% will be used to set up a joint company in
your country which will bear our name in particular and whatever profit made
out from this company will be used in financing the less privileges,
motherless babies home and charity organization in the world. Well, I must
say that trust flourishes business, therefore let your conscience towards
this proposal be nurtured with sincerity and I will not fail to bring to
your notice that this transaction is 100% risk-free and you should keep this
transaction (TOP SECRET). Bearing in mind that Opportunities such as this,
only come to a LUCKY one's way once in a lifetime. I am a family man with
wife and children, I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained,
and that success and riches never come so easy or on a platter of gold and
this is an opportunity to provide my family with new opportunities. The
reward for this project makes it a task well worth undertaking. I have
evaluated risks aspect and have discovered there is no risk involved in this
deal as the only risk I have discovered is by you refusing to work with me
and alerting my bank .
My involvement and position in my Bank guarantees 100% of risk-free and
successful execution of this deal if you agreed to work with me. I therefore
ask that If you find yourself able to work with me, you should call me on my
confidential Telephone # +225-0558-7747 to confirm your interest before
sending me any email. This is the greatest opportunity I have ever had in my
banking life. Please, do not betray my confidence in you. If we can be of
one accord, we should trust in each other.
Awaiting Your Anticipated Response.
Yours Truely and Sincerely,
Dr. Harley Burton
N.B :call me on my confidential Telephone # +225-0558-7747 or email
mr.hburton@yahoo.com.vn<http://uk.mc276.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mr.hburton@yahoo.com.vn>

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