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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: "james smithy58" <james_smithy58@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: james_smithy222@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 04 Dec 2004 10:33:27 +0200
Subject: URGENT REPLY

From Mr, James Smithy.
Box 1287 Port Shepstone
Chaka -South Africa.


{URGENT
AND CONFIDENTIAL}
(RE:TRANSFER
OF (136,000.000.00 USD)
(ONE HUNDRED AND
THIRTY SIX MILLION DOLLARS)



Dear Sir,

We want to transfer to overseas ($ 136,000.000.00 USD)One hundred and Thirty
six million United States Dollars) from a Bank in Africa. I want to ask you
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
immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve,as long 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 future.

I am Mr, James Smithy.the Auditor General of a bank in Africa. During the
course of our auditing I
discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1995 and
since 1998 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] hence the money has been floating and if I do not
remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Mr. Ahmed Tariq, a foreigner and a sailor, he
died since 1998. No other
person knows about this account or anything concerning it, it has no other
beneficiary. My investigation proved to me as well that Mr. Ahmed Tariq
until his death was the manager Tariq Coy.(pty). SA.

The amount involved is (USD 136M) One hundred and Thirty Six million United
States Dollars, I only want to first transfer $36,000.000[Thirty Six million
United States Dollar from this money into a safe
foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I don't know any foreigner, I
am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved
to a local person here, without valid international passport, but can only
be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers
license and foreign a/c because the money is in US dollars and the former
owner of the a/c Mr. Ahmed Tariq is a foreigner too, [and the money can only
be approved into a foreign a/c.

However, I got your contact address from my secretary who does not know the
need for it. I am revealing this to you with believe that you will never
let me down in this business, you are the first and might be the only 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.

I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding
agreement before transferring the money to any account of your choice where
the fund will be safe. Before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing
and investments.

I need your full co-operation to make this work, because the management is
ready to approve this
payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which
I will give to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that
you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official
who is deeply involved with me in this
business.

I need your strong assurance that you will never letme down. With my
influence and the position of the bank official we can transfer this money
to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance
that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country
for sharing.

The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we
receive this money leaving
no trace to any place and to build confidence you can come immediately to
discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your
presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of
the money going into the account.

I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that
you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account.

I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for
onward transfer of this money to
your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and
foreign exchange departments.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total
amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might
have incurred during the process of transferring.

Hope to hear from you soonest.


Yours Sincerely,

Mr James Smithy.

N.B. I need your phone and fax numbers for easy
communications as the case may be.

_________________________________________________________________
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