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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: "Chen Tung (Hu)" <mrtung@live.hk>
Reply-To: hct261-001@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:39:50 -1100
Subject: Assistance

First I will start by thanking you for reading my email. My name is Hu Chen Tung, I am in Foreign Operations Eco Bank LTD. (Sao Tome and Principe)., I believe you will be apprehensive on the kind of business proposition. But as it is, I am soliciting your assistance in moving/transferring a huge amount of money (US$21,410,000.00) from my bank which is lying idle with no one ever coming to lay claim to it. Before I go ahead let me tell you how the funds came into existence in the first place.

This fund originally belongs to a late client Fayez Abdulaziz Abiri a business man. He made a fixed numbered deposit with a value of US$18,796,000.00 at my branch. When his stipulated time elapsed, we sent a notification to him so he would advice if he still wanted to extend his term of deposit or not but we did not hear from him. After sometime we tried contacting him again and still there was no response from him. As his banking officer, I decided to carry out my own investigation as to the whereabouts of Mr. Fayez Abdulaziz Abiri only to find out he had died of Kidney infection in Mukaradeeb Iraq.
Fayez did not record a receiver on his authorized deed before he passed away and according to the laws of this country at the expiration of six {6} years, if a person dies intestate, the laws of some jurisdictions require the estate to be distributed to the person's spouse and/or children. However, if there are none of these, the estate can often be distributed to the next closest group of living relatives, whether they be parents, grandparents, first cousins, aunts & uncles, or even distant relatives in extreme cases. If a person dies intestate with no identifiable next of kin, the person's estate generally escheats (i.e., legally reverts) to the government.

My suggestion is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Fayez Abdulaziz Abiri so that you will be able to receive his funds for our joint gratification. You will be made the next of kin thereby putting you the position to inherit this huge amount

Be reminded that, I am NOT saying you are related to the Testator but the transaction can be very easily accomplished. Again, please know that to accomplish this transaction more quickly and without any hindrance, you must understand that I will need your fullest support. This can be more easily achieved only if you understand the details of the transaction. Please, note that I will also demand maximum confidentiality or discreteness in all matters.

If you are interested in doing this with me, please go ahead and contact me again with a confirmation to proceed. I need you to know that I have evaluated all risks involved and guarantee that if you follow my instructions to the letters, it will be hazard free. As far as I am concerned it is worth undertaking and I implore you to come along with me because the reward will be great for both of us.

Hu.

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