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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: "tony kess" <tonykess39@biz.by>
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:55:16 -0500
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL


HI,
Before I introduce myself, I wish to inform you that this letter is not a
hoax mail and I urge you to treat it seriousness. This letter must have come
to you as a big surprise but I believe it is only a day that people meet and
become great friends and business partners. My name is Barrister TONY KESS,
the personal adviser to the President of Ghana His Excellency PRESIDENT JOHN
AGYAKUM KUFFOUR. I write you this proposal in good faith, believing that I
can trust you with the information I am about to reveal to you. Like I said,
I have a transaction that will benefit both of us, as your assistance is
required as a foreigner. I have a client whose name is Mr. ANDREAS SCHRANNER
a German .I was his personal Attorney who acts on his behalf in all his
transactions here in ACCRA-GHANA. Since 1999.

Late Mr. ANDREAS SCHRANNER a great German industrialist and a native of
Munich, who unfortunately lost his life along with his entire families in
the plane crash of CONCORD AIRLINE [Flight AF4590] which crashed on 25th
JULY, 2000. You shall read more news about the crash on visiting this site,
which I got during my investigation;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm. As his
attorney here who works for him in all his legal Business and after his
Death His bankers The Bank of Ghana has contacted me with information that
his account has a balance of $22, 00,000 million dollars, The account is an
escrow call account, a secret type of account in the bank and no other
person knows about this account or any thing concerning it apart from the
head of international operations and the account officer, the account has no
other beneficiary. I have kept a close monitoring of the account since then
and nobody has come forward to ask about the money as next of kin to the
late Mr. Andreas Schranner, meaning that no one is aware of the account. The
Bank knows that i am his personal Attorney and there is no way they can take
this fund to their self.
I cannot directly take out this money without the help of a foreigner and
that is why I am contacting you for an assistance to claim the funds so that
we can invest it together in a profitable Business in your country. As the
Personal Attorney to him, I have the power to influence the release of the
funds to any foreigner that comes up as the next of kin to the account, with
the correct information concerning the account, which I shall give you.

I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the next of kin to the
account, so that the bank will release the funds to you. There is
practically no risk involved, the transaction will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. If you
accept to work with me, I want you to state how you will invest the funds in
a profitable Business in your country. So that both parties will be
satisfied. Contact me as soon as you receive this message if you feel we can
work together, so that we can go ahead immediately. If you are interested
in my request, do send to me the below information so that i will not start
looking for another person,

1) YOUR FULL NAME (2) YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBERS (3) YOUR INDENTITY CARD-
OPTIONAL-(4)YOUR AGE. (5)YOUR OCCUPATION.
6.NATIONALITY

BEST REGARDS,
TONY KESS

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