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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: Mr Mark Wilfred <mark_wilfred@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: markwilfred1@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:00:17 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: FROM MR MARK WILFRED.



























Greetings to you,
 
This letter might meet you in utmost surprise, However, Its
just my urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you, I am a
banker by profession in Republic of Benin (Cotonou) precisely currently holding
the post of director auditing and accounting department of Bank of Africa
Cotonou Head Quatar Office. I have opportunity to transfer left over funds $5.2
Million (Five Million, Two Hundred thousand United States Dollars) that belongs
to one of our bank customer who died along with his family in a bomb explosion
in Iraq.I have investigated and discovered that the deceased customer declared
his wife as the next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of
the fund deposit, both the deceased customer and his wife and other members of
his familys all died during the Iraq war bomb explosion. The last time the
deceased customer visited our bank he confide in me that no one else except me
knew of his deposit in our bank. The $5.2 Million (Five Million, Two Hundred
thousand United States Dollars) is still lying in our bank and no one has ever
come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that according to the laws of
our bank, if no one comes for claim of the fund before end of this coming JUNE
(Year 2011), the fund will be transferred into our Bank treasury account as an
abandoned or unclaimed fund and will be shared among the top shareholders and
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS of our Bank, We Poor employees of the bank do not gain
anything out of these confiscated funds, Many Banks in Africa confiscates lots
of funds amounting to millions yearly and 95% of these fund belongs to
foreigners.
 
My proposal to you is that I am prepared to place you as the
heir next of kin and business partner to the deceased customer to release the
deposit to you, before the death of the deceased customer he was a CONTRACTOR of
GOLD and DIAMOND dealer in Cotonou (Republic of Benin), i want you to stand as
heir next of kin and business partner to the deceased customer in associates of
buying GOLD and DIAMOND in Cotonou (Republic of Benin). I am prepared to share
the fund 50% for you while 50% for me, I will simply nominate you as the heir
apparrent next of kin and business partner the funds will be release into your
account. I am not a criminal, I do not find it against good conscience, this may
be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I
make this move; Such opportunities only come ones in a lifetime. I cannot let
this opportunity pass me by, for once I find myself in total control of my
destiny and this opportunity wont pass me by. I ask that you do not neglect this
great opportunity, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on
with my life. I am a family man and this is a great opportunity for me to
provide my family new opportunities after my retirements.
 
There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth
undertaking. If you give me positive response I will furnish you with all the
information you need for this claim. You can contact me via official channels,
Also I have confident that we will be able to establish trust that is needed to
complete this transaction and all that I need from you in the time been is your
willingness, commitment and honesty so that we can achieve these funds
transferred into your bank account successfully in 14 banking days.

 
Like I said before there is no risks involve, the transaction
will be done through our bank international banking laws and all the necessary
information will be given to you. I do not want any direct link between you and
me because this transaction will be done in a way that my bank managements will
not know that am involve in the claim. I send you this email without fear, I
know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained, and success and riches
never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is one truth I have learned from
my private banking experience. Do not betray my confidence in you, if we can be
of one accord, we should plan meeting soon immediately after the funds is
transferred into your account in your country. Further details of the transfer
will be sent to you as soon as I receive a positive response from you. But if my
offer is of no appeal to you, delete my letter and forget about the transaction
and do not expose this information to anyone.
 
Thank you, I look forward to hear from you through this private
email address given here  ( markwilfred1@hotmail.com ) and kindly
call me on telephone for more details   +229
98890213
 
Regards

Mr. Mark Wilfred
 


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