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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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Fraud email example:

From: "R. Lobianco" <lobianco@zwallet.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 16:13:11 +0100
Subject: NEXT OF KIN / BENEFICIARY

Dear Partner,

My name is Mr. Mr. R. Lobianco. (An American Citizen), I work in a bank here
in UK with a corresponding office in Germany.

I am contacting you on business transfer of a huge sum of money from a
deceased account, though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will
make anyone
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the
conclusion of this transaction. I decided to contact you due to the urgency
of this transaction,
when I got your contact through my private search on the Internet.

PROPOSITION.

I am the account officer of a foreigner named Mr & Mrs. Raymond Beck who
died in the plane crash of 31 October, 1999 on board with an Egyptian
Airline 990 alongside
with other passengers.

Please consult the Cable News Network (CNN) website below for verification.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html
or
http://216.157.75.11/discus/messages/1073/400.html?1086886167

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to
lay claims to this money as the heir. The bank cannot release the fund from
his account unless
someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in
our banking guidelines.

Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of
kin to the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked out for
the funds
US$35Millions to be released in your favor as the beneficiary's / Next of
kin. It may interest you to know that I have secured from the probate an
order of mandamus to locate
any of deceased beneficiaries, because after four to five years the money
will be called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and the money
will be shared amongst
the directors of the bank.

So it is on this Note I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as
the Next of kin / Beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the bank
directors to share this money
amongst themselves.

Endeavour to furnish me the following informations if you are interested.

1. Your first and last names
2. Complete mailing address
3. Direct Telephone and fax numbers.
4. Age, Sex and Marital Status.

These requirements will enable me file a Letter of Claim to the appropriate
departments for necessary approvals in your favor before the transfer can be
made.

I shall be compensating you with 20% of the whole funds on final conclusion
of this project for your assistance, and 10% set aside for any expenses
incured by both of us
wihle 70% shall be for me, for investment purposes, because I intend to
retire from active service after the conclusion of this transaction.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you, reply immediately to my private emailbox :
rlobianco@zwallet.com

Best regards,
Mr. R. Lobianco



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