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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: ambrose ali <ambroseali2005@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2005 12:43:58 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: BUSINESS REQUEST


FROM THE DESK OF MR.AMBROSE ALI
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER
FOREIGN REMMITTANCE DEPT.
AFRICAN UNION BANK TOGO LOME.

Dear Sir,

I am the manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remmittance department of African Union Bank Lome Togo,
In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US $10.5m dollar(ten million five hundred thousand US Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foriegn customer,known as Fouad Abdel Ghafar Ahmed who died along with his entire family in October,1999 in plane crash with egyptian air line.
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and laim his money because we can not release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the decease as indicated in our banking guidlines and laws, but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him at the plane clash leaving no body behind for the claim.
It is therefore upon this discovery that I and other officials in my department now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the decease for safety and subsequent disbursement since nob ody is coming for it and we dont want this money to go intothe bank treasury as unclaimed bill.
The banking law and guidline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after seven years, the money will be transfered into the bank treasure as unclaimed fund. The request of a foreigner as next of kin in this business is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a togoliase cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
We agree that35% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner, inrespect to the provision of a foreign account, 5% will be set aside for expenses incurred during the business and 60% will be for me and my collegues. There after I and my collegues will visit your country for disbursment according to the percentages indicated.
Therefore, to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arrange, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin to the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effec tive communication and location where in the money will be remitted upon receipt of your reply, i will send to you by fax or email the text of the application.
I will not fail to bring your notice that this business is hicth-free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

Yours faithfully,

MR AMBROSE ALI





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