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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: "Johansen Van Zyl" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jhovanzyl@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 16 May 2016 06:18:36 -0500
Subject: Important Message (2016/5/16)

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
Good day to you.
 
Firstly, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction; this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all is perfectly well.
My name is Johansen Van Zyl, financial consultant with one of the major commercial banks here in South Africa; I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail private as I contact you independently and not on behalf of the bank.
 
 
In 2013, a client who is a foreign expatriate and a mining magnate from Luxemburg  came to my office at the  private banking division with an investment interest of 45.5million United States Dollars, Based on my advice, we spun the money around on various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first two years of operation, in late 2015 he instructed that the principal sum be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment in a mining business deal in Botswana  requiring cash payments, He directed that I liquidate the funds and have it deposited with a securities firm based on his instruction. The firm is an especially private firm that accepts deposits from high net worth individuals and blue chip corporations. I immediately acted upon his instruction and channelled USD30, 000,000.00 (Thirty Million United State Dollars) to the security firm towards the Botswana deal.
 
However the firm got in touch with me sometime in February this year, informing me that the money was never claimed. On further enquiries I found out that Mr. Alfred was involved in an accident which took his life in Cannes, South of France. If you are familiar with private banking affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity. Private banking clients usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Alfred died intestate. He has no next of kin and that is the reason I am writing you because I want us to pull a deal for our mutual benefit.
What I propose is to present you as his next of kin to the security firm in order to claim the funds, and I have exclusive access to all paper works and all the documentations necessary to process the release of funds to you as his next of kin, as you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. I am prepared to instruct the security firm to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation or partner.  It is my intention that we both benefit from the investment of these funds. You do not have to have known Alfred for this to go through. In the banking circle this happens every time. If the money is not claimed it will be re-assigned to the state treasury and nobody benefits from this. I am proposing a 50/50% deal with you.
Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and from my years of experience as a banker, we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily to state treasury when funds like this is not claimed.
Please note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences if you should decide to turn my proposal down or label it as unsolicited, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please get back to me as soon as possible if you are interested.
 
I will be waiting for your prompt response and please see my contact below.
 
Regards,
Johansen Van Zyl
Telephone:  +27733840259

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