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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: "QC MARK LITTMAN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <littman.mark@sify.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 20:36:09 +0100
Subject: Re: Great Opportunity

CHAMBERS OF MARK LITTMAN QC,
12 GRAYS INN SQUARE,
LONDON, WC1R 5JP.
Tel: +44 750 129 0387
EMAIL:  littman.mark@sify.com
 
It is indeed a pleasure to write you this letter, which I believe may be a surprise to you as we have never met before, and I am deeply sorry if I have in any manner disturbed your privacy. Please forgive this unusual manner of contacting you, but this particular letter is of exceptional and very private in nature. There is no way for me to know whether I will be properly understood, but it is my duty to write and reach out to you as a person based on great fidelity and trust.
 
I wish to introduce you to a business deal which could be beneficial to both of us and which has to be kept confidential for the purpose thereof. I am contacting you because I know that you are capable of handling the deal and I want to invest my money in your Country.
 
My name is MARK LITTMAN. An accountant [CPA] based in UK. I wish to seek your consent to present you as next of kin to my late client (Christian Eich, 57, an engineer), who died in the year 2000 in a plane crash involving Air France Concorde flight 4590 Paris' at Charles de Gaulle airport on 25 July 2000 leaving behind the sum of GBP 49,000,000.00 (Forty Nine Million Pounds) in a Bank in UK and no next of kin to inherit the money.
 
With your assistance and my professional advice we can get access to the money because I am his Accountant and all the members of the Family died in the Plane Crash. You can as well confirm this news at the BBC News website: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm) on Monday, 31 July, 2000,
13:22 GMT 14:22 UK victims of the AF4590 crash include all 109 people on board and five who died on the ground when the plane crashed into the Hotelissimo.
 
We shall both share the funds 60% for me and 35% to you, while 5% should be for Expenses or your Government may require as Tax.  I look forward to your positive response at your earliest convenience now that the Bank has written me twice to present his Next of Kin and if possible send along your telephone number, your correct address and name so I will call to give you further clarification. lf you are not interested please do not bother to reply, but if you are interested please reply only on:
littman.mark@sify.com
All I require from you is honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us sees this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be execute under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law both locally or internationally.
 
Regards
MARK LITTMAN QC,

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