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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: JAMES LEWIS <james.lewis358@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2016 19:08:40 -0500
Subject: FROM JAMES LEWIS

Hello,

I Wish to Inform You That This Letter is not a hoax mail and I urged you to treat it serious. We want to transfer to overseas account ($ 30,000.000.00USD) Thirty million United States Dollars) from a prime Bank here in London. I want to ask you, If you are not capable to quietly look for a reliable and honest person Who Will be capable and fit to Provide Either an existing bank account or to set-up a new Bank a / c esta Immediately to receive money, even an empty a / c can serve to receive esta money, along as you Will Remain honest to me till the end For This Important business trusting in you and believing in God That you will never let me down Either now or in the future.

I am Mr. James lewis, presently Promoted to Auditor General in one of the banks here in London. During the course of our auditing last week, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 2000 and since 2004 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered That the owner of the account died without a [Heir / WILL] Hence it the money is floating and if I do not remit esta money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.The owner of this account is an American and a great industrialist and a resident of Alaska State, WHO unfortunately lost his life in the plane, crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Which crashed on January 31 2003, Including His wife and only daughter leaving nobody to claim the money. No other person knows about this account or any thing Concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation PROVED to me as well That the account is a secret account. The total amoun!
t is Involved Thirty million United States Dollars only [$ 30,000.000.00] and we wish to esta transfer money into a safe foreigners account abroad. But I do not know any foreigner; I am only Contacting you as a foreigner esta Because money can not be approved to a local person here, but to a foreigner Who has information about the account, Which Shall give to you upon your positive response.

I am revealing to you With esta believe in God That you will never let me down in esta business, you are the first and the only person that i am Contacting For This business, so please reply urgently so That I will inform you the next step to take urgently. I need your strong assurance that you 'will never let us down, me and a key bank official WHO is deeply Involved In This business with me. That I guarantee you will be esta transaction Executed under a legitimate arrangement That will protect you from any breach of the law The bank official will destroy all documents of the transaction esta Immediately you receive money leaving no trace to any place. I will use my position and influence to Obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of esta money to your account with Appropriate clearance from the Relevant ministries and foreign exchange esta departments.At the finding of business, you will be Given 30% of the total amount 70% will be for us.

PLEASE, TREAT THIS PROPOSAL AS TOP SECRET.
I want you to reply to my private email address Directly below as soon as possible so That I will send you full details on how the business will be Executed:
I look forward to your earliest reply

Best Regards
James lewis




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