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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: "Howard Brent Chambers." <brent564howard@googlemail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: brent564hward@9.cn
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 11:32:01 -0500
Subject: THIS IS FOR YOU...

Good Day,

I am Howard Brent, a solicitor in the United Kingdom and I have a business proposal for you.
Please, It is important you keep the contents of this mail confidential.

I contact you independently and no one should be informed of this communication. In 2005, my client Mr. Fredrick Marshal made a four year fixed deposit of $10.5 million USD into a Bank here in Europe where I signed as witness, After four years, I contacted Mr Fredrick Marshal and we went to the Bank and we were furnished with all necessary details required to facilitate the payment process . However Mr Fredrick Marshal left and was to come back within a week, but several weeks passed and I did not hear from my client, I became worried, and I tried to contact him via phone but to no avail. I later found out that my client has been involved in a plane crash (Air France) and died. Please browse the website below to view details of the plane crash: http://www.smh.com.au/world/nationalities-on-board-missing-air-france-flight-20090602-bt62.html


The interesting thing here is that, he did not indicate anyone as his next of kin when he deposited the money four years ago. The reason I am writing you is because, I need a foreigner to stand as the beneficiary of these funds and as his solicitor/witness, I have all necessary documentations to present you to the Bank as his next of kin, and the funds would be made available to you in no time and thereafter,we would share according to an agreed ratio after you have agreed to be part of this venture.

Please get back to me immediately via the above contact to discuss this transaction further and be rest assured that as a solicitor, all legal aspect as it concerns the European legal system would be taken care of by me.

I await your swift response

Yours Truly,
Howard Brent.



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