joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "david clovis" <davidsclovisesq@hotmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: dclovis2005@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 14:34:32 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE & CONFIDENTIAL...............

David Clovis (Esq.)
Rue Portin X Blaize Diagne
St. Louis Senegal
Email:dclovis2005@yahoo.fr

Attention: Partner,

I am barrister David Clovis (Esq.), an English
speaking Senegalese Solicitor & Financial Attorney/
Consultant. I was the personal attorney to late Daniel
Thorp who was an expatriate mining
consultant/contractor with Teaser Petroleum
Corporation in St Louis-Senegal. Mr. Daniel Thorp
here-in-after referred as my client was also a
Diamond/Gold Merchant.

Mr. Daniel Thorp made a numbered time (Fixed) deposit
of a substantial amount in a bank in Dakar, capital of
Senegal with standing statement/agreement with the
bank that all correspondences in respect to the fixed
deposit contract must be sent to him through my humble
chambers. Upon maturity, the routine notification was
sent to me whom I dispatched to his forwarding address
as usual without no reply. After a month, I sent
areminder which I received from the bank without any
reply again. Finally, I discovered from my client’s
contract employers- Teaser Petroleum Corporation that
he died among many others in the Kenya Airways flight
of 31st January, 2000 that crashed into the Atlantic
Ocean in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. On further
investigations, I found out that he died without
making any WILL and all attempts to trace his next of
kin was fruitless. I also discovered that Mr. Daniel
Thorp did not declare any kin or relations in all his
official documents, including his fixed deposit
contract with the bank in Dakar-Senegal.

I am contacting you based on the official letter I
just received from his bankers reminding me that
Senegalese law states that at the expiration of 5
(five) years the money will revert to the ownership of
the Senegalese Government if I do not confirm the next
of kin to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is
that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the
next of kin to Mr. Daniel Thorp so that the fruits of
this old man’s labour will not go into the hands of
some corrupt government officials. Note that this
transaction is simple and risk free because I will
provide expert legal services that will guarantee the
successful execution of this deal. I wish to point out
that after the claims, I would want 20% of the
involved to be shared among charity organizations,
while the remaining 80% is shared equally between us.
Most importantly, I would also require your assistance
towards investing my share in your country or anywhere
as you may advice. If you are interested, please
contact me via my email address Upon your response, I
shall provide you with more details and how we shall
proceed with the claims. I expect you to observe
utmost confidentiality and be rest assured that this
transaction would be profitable for both of us.

Awaiting your urgent reply via my email.

Thanks & Regards

Barrister David Clovis (Esq.)




Anti-fraud resources: