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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "shun wen" <shunwen04@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 09:06:20 -0000
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION.


FROM THE DESK OF: MR. SHUN WEN.
BANK OF CHINA,
SHENZHEN BRANCH,
REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

Dear Friend,

How are you today and business in your country? I am MR . SHUN WEN, Bank
Manager of bank of China, Shenzhen Branch, China. I would respectfully
request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the
integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I
contacted you independently of our investigation and no one is informed of
this communication. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I
believe would be of interest to you. I know you would be wondering why I am
writing you with a request such as this but I only urge you to read on.

In November 1998, a British Oil consultant/contractor with the Chinese Solid
Minerals Corporation, Mr. Robert Rice made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit
for twelve calendar months, valued at US$30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million
Dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his
forwarding address in America and Britain but got no reply. After a month, we
sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the
Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation that Mr. Robert Rice died alongside his
wife, from an airplane crash. The bank immediately launched an investigation
into possible surviving next of kin to alert about the situation and also to
come forward to claim his estate. If you are familiar with private banking
affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity, but also
some levels of detachment from conventional processes. In his bio-data
form, he listed no next of kin. In the field of private banking, opening an
account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are rarely
held under a name; depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts
anonymous. This bank also gives the choice to depositors of having their mail
sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that there are no traces of
the account and as I said, rarely do they nominate next of kin.Private
banking clients apart from not nominating next of kin also usually in most
cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Mr. Robert Rice died interstate.

In line with our internal processes for account holders who have passed away,
we instituted our own investigations in good faith to determine who should
have right to claim the estate. This investigation has for the past months
been unfruitful. We have scanned every continent and used our private
investigation affiliate companies to get to the root of the problem. This
sum of US$30,000,000.00 has since been sitting in my Bank and the interest is
being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will
ever come forward to claim it.

According to the Laws of Republic of China, at the expiration of 5 (five)
years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Chinese Government if
nobody applies to claim the funds. What I wish to relate to you will smack of
unethical practice but I want you to understand something. It is only an
outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of
the banking world aberrational. The world of banking especially is fraught
with huge rewards for those who occupy certain offices and oversee certain
portfolios. You should have begun by now to put together the general
direction of what I propose.

There is US$30,000,000.00 deposited in my bank, I alone have the deposit
details and they will release the deposit to no one unless evidence of
relationship with the deceased, which I shall provide you with, is presented.
I alone know of the existence of this deposit for as far as Bank of China is
concerned, the bank's management has no single idea of what?s the history or
nature of the deposit. They are simply awaiting instructions to release the
deposit to any party that comes forward. This is the situation. This bank has
spent great amounts of money trying to track this man?s family; they have
investigated for months and have found no family. The investigation has come
to an end. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner
to stand in as the next of kin to Mr. Robert Rice so that the fruits of this
old man's labour will not get into the hands of some corrupt government
officials. Acting in this capacity really is simple, all you have to do is
provide your full names and address so that an attorney here can prepare the
necessary documents and affidavits that will put you in
place as the next of kin. We shall employ the services of an attorney for
drafting and notarization of the WILL and to obtain the necessary
authentication, approval and a letter of probate/administration in your
favour for the transfer to be done. A bank account in any part of the world
that you then provide me with will then facilitate the transfer of this money
to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your
account for us to share 60/40.

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find no
interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you do
not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete
this message and forget I ever contacted you. Do not destroy my career
because you do not approve of my proposal. You may not know this
but people like myself who have made tidy sums out of comparable situations
run the whole private banking sector. I am not a criminal and what I do, I do
not find 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' way once in a lifetime. I cannot let this
chance pass me by, for once I find myself in total control of my destiny.
This is my chance and i wont let it pass me by. I ask that you do not destroy
my chance, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with
my life but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity
to provide my family with new opportunities. There is a reward for this
project and it is a task well worth undertaking. I have evaluated the risks
and the only risk I have here is from you refusing to work with me and
alerting my bank.

There is no risk whatsoever as all the paperwork for this transaction will be
done by the attorney and my position as the Branch Manager guarantee the
successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested in this
lucrative role, I urge you to indicate to that effect. Upon your response, if
favourable, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant
information that will help you get full understanding of the transaction. I
will appreciate it if you send me your confidential telephone and fax numbers
for easier communication.

If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me through this email
address and I will respond to you through my china email. If you give me
positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a conclusion. I wish
to inform you that should you contact me via official channels; I will deny
knowing you and about this project. I repeat, I do not want you contacting me
through my official phone lines nor do I want you contacting me through
my official email account. Contact me only through the numbers I will provide
for you and also through this email address. My official lines are not secure
lines as they are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care
in line with our Total Quality Management Policy. Please observe this
instruction religiously. Please, again, 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 what
the consequences may be, 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. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients.Do
not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should plan a
meeting, soon.

In closing, please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that
this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall
require your assistance to invest my share in your country. Upon receiving
your reply, I will then furnish you with a more comprehensive detail of this
transaction and what is required of you.

Awaiting your urgent reply via this email account; shunwen04@hotmail.com

Yours Sincerely,

MR. SHUN WEN.










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