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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: Paul Stanton <info@law.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:28:19 +0100
Subject: Soliciting Your Concern

Good Day ,

This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated
as such. I must solicit your confidentiality and assure you that I am
contacting you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit.
I am Paul Stanton, an attorney at law. I am the personal attorney/sole
executor to the late Mr. Robert here in after referred to as
my client's who worked as an independent oil magnate in my country and
who died in a car crash with his immediate family in east London on the
5th of November 2000.

My late client a former Sub-Comptroller working with Chevron Texaco Oil
here in the United Kingdom and had left behind a deposit of Nine Million
Eight Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling only (9.8 million) with a
finance company. After the death of my client, the finance company
contacted me, as his attorney to provide his next of kin who should
inherit his fortune, this according to them is their policy in such
circumstances.

Since the death of my client, I have written several letters to the
embassy with an intent to locate any of his extended relatives whom shall
be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate and all such
efforts have been to no avail. I had to inform the finance company about
my fruitless effort in locating my late client close relative or his next
of kin. The board of directors of the company just adopted a resolution
and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this
money within the next 15 official working days or forfeit the money as an
abandoned funds. The company had planned to invoke the abandoned property
decree of the company to confiscate the funds after the expiration of the
period given me. Also I have received official letters in the last two
days suggesting a likely proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned
personal assets in line with existing laws of the institution.

Well I have reasoned very professionally and I can use a legal means to
present a next of kin of my deceased client. this is legally possible and
would be done in accordance with the laws of the land. On this note I
decided to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a
similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with your
consent, present you to the "trustee" as my late client's family member so
as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of
kin of my client. I find this possible for the fuller reasons that you are
of the same nationality and you bear a similar last name with my late
client making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity.
I have all vital documents that would confer you the legal right to make
this claim and would make them available to you so that the proceeds of
this bank account valued at 9.8million can be paid to you before it gets
confiscated or declared unserviceable to the bank where this huge amount
is lodged.

I do sincerely sympathize with the death of my client but I think it is
unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the government of this
country or some financial institution. My aim is to retrieve this funds
and let it be claimed by the deceased family name,etc. for this I seek
your assistance since I have been unable to locate the relatives for the
past 8years now.

I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased
since you have the same last name giving you the advantage so that the
proceeds of this account can be paid to you and then both of us can share
the money,60% to me and 40% to you. I know there might be other persons
out there with the same surname as my late client, but after a little
check my instinct tells me to contact you. Can I trust you on this? I
shall assemble all the necessary documents that will be used to back up
your claim.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement
that will protect you from any breach of law. I will not fail to bring to
your notice that this proposal is hitch-free and that you should not
entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the
completion of this transfer.

Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please get
in touch with me by my alternative email-: paulstantonesq55@yahoo.com.hk
for better confidentiality and send to me your telephone and fax numbers
to enable us discuss further on this transaction. If this proposal is
acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have
bestowed in you,Thanks for your understanding.

Kind Regards.

Barr. Paul Stanton ESQ




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