joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "RICHARDSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <richardsonadrian75@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:50:44 +0100
Subject: Transfer Of 80.5Million Dollars

FROM: ADRIAN RICHARDSON
 
54 JERMYN STREET, ST JAMES’S
 
LONDON, SW1Y 6LX
 
Attention: 
 
 
I am pleased to get across to you for a very urgent and profitable business proposal, I Got your e-mail address in Internet while browsing after I decided to contact you and ask for your assistance in this urgent matter, requiring trust and confidentiality, I am Mr. Adrian Richardson, a citizen of United Kingdom, the Branch manager, (STANDARD CHARTERED BANK (UNITED KINGDOM), Married with two children. I am writing this letter to ask for your support and co-operation to carry out this business opportunity in my department, On Oct 31, 1999, a Citizen of Iran Oil consultant/contractor with Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Mohammed Galal, made a numbered time (fixed) deposit for twelve calendar months, Valued at US$80,500,000.00 (Eighty Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) in my branch upon maturity. I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Petroleum Corporation that Dr. Mohammed Galal, died
 
 
Most storming of my discovery was that, all records bear no next of kin, meaning no member of Dr. Mohammed Galal, family knows about the deposit therefore, no member of his family will ever come forward to claim the money, In order for the bank not to transfer the said sum of Eighty Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($80,500,000.00) as unclaimed funds to the emirates treasury account, the above stated funds most be claimed immediately by somebody standing in as late Dr. Mohammed Galal.  
 
 
Next of Kin, because According to (BRITISH LAW), at the expiration of (fifteen)years; the money will revert to the ownership of the (BRITISH GOVERNMENT) if nobody applies to claim the fund, This revelation is only known to me because I was his personal account officer before I was posted to become the branch manager, now I seek your collaboration to act as next of kin to late Dr. Mohammed Galal, to claim the funds and move them into useful investments, we shall split the cash between our self upon the confirmation of the money into your account, I am ready to offer you 40% of the total fund and 55% for me while 5% will be set aside for any expenses might occur during the transaction.
 
 
Please note that by the virtue of my position in the bank, I have worked out the perfect modality as well as I shall provide the relevant information’s and  documents for the successful claim and transfer of the funds in the account that will be provided by you, I can not stand in the forefront of this transaction because I work with the bank ,that is why I have come to you, for assistance be rest assured that this project involve no risk to you, upon the receipt of your acceptance mail me, I will like you to provide me with the following details, to my private email address,(richardsonadrian52@yahoo.com.hk)
 
 
(1) Your Direct Tel/ Mobile/Fax Number. (2) Your Name and Country Resident Address. (3) Your Occupation: (4) Your Nationality: Then I shall furnish you with due process of concluding this transaction without any delay.
 
Best Regards.
 
Mr. Adrian Richardson  
Call me on my Direct Number + 447924425970
 

Anti-fraud resources: