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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: tom_smart01@terra.com.mx
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 04:44:56 +0100
Subject: UNION BANK NEXT OF KIN

DEAR SIR/ MADAM,
I AM MrTom Smart (DR) FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR OF
UNION BANK PLC LAGOS NIGERIA.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT A VERY CONFIDENTIAL PROPOSITION FOR
A JOINT BUSINESS VENTURE. ON THE 21ST OF SEPTEMBER
1999, A BRAZILIAN OIL CONSULTANT /CONTRACTOR WITH THE
NIGERIAN SOLID MINERALS CORPORATION, MR. MAURICIO JOSE
DE MATOS MADE A (FIXED) DEPOSIT,VALUED $9,000.000.00
(NINE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS, ONLY) IN MY
BRANCH.
UPON MATURITY ON SEPTEMBER 20TH 2004 AS HIS CREDIT
OFFICER, I SENT ROUTINE NOTIFICATION TO HIS FORWARDING
ADDRESS BUT GOT NO REPLY. AFTER A MONTH,WE SENT A
REMINDER AND FINALLY I DISCOVERED FROM CONTRACT
EMPLOYERS, THE NIGERIAN SOLID MINERALS CORPORATION
THAT ON THE 31ST OCTOBER 1999, MY CLIENT ALONGSIDE HIS
WIFE AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN DIED IN AN AIR CRASH IN
AN EGYPTIAN AIRLINE 990 WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ON BOARD
FROM NEW YORK ENROUTE TO NIGERIA. YOU CAN CONFIRM THIS
FROM THE WEBSITE BELOW WHICH WAS PUBLISHED BY
CNN.WEBSITE.http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/02/egyptair990.list
or
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/in_depth/2008892.stm>
WHERE THIS TRAGIC EVENT WAS LISTED AMONG OTHER AIR
CRASH AIR DISASTERS.
FUTHER INVESTIGATIONS,AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO TRACE HIS
NEXT OF KIN WAS FRUITLESS.AGAIN, I MADE FURTHER
INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERED THAT MR. MATOS DID NOT
DECLARE ANY NEXT OF KIN OR RELATIONS IN ALL HIS
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING HIS BANK DEPOSIT
PAPERWORK IN MY BANK.
AS A MATTER OF FACT THIS SUM OF US$9,000,000.00 IS
STILL SITTING IN MY BANK AND NO ONE WILL EVER COME TO
CLAIM IT,AS EVERY MEANS ADOPTED TO LOCATE HIS FAMILY
PROVED ABORTIVE.
ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL BANKING ETHICS,CODES
AND LAWS, AT THE EXPIRATION OF 6(SIX) YEARS, THE MONEY
WILL REVERT TO THE OWNERSHIP OF THE NIGERIA GOVERNMENT
IF NOBODY APPLIES TO CLAIM THE FUND.
CONSEQUENTLY,MY PROPOSAL IS THAT I WILL LIKE YOU AS A
FOREIGNER TO STAND IN AS NEXT OF KIN TO MR. MAURICIO
DE MATO. THIS IS SIMPLE,I WILL LIKE YOU TO RESPOND
IMMEDIATELY WITH YOUR FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS SO THAT
WE WILL PREPARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS THAT WILL PUT
YOU IN PLACE AS THE NEXT OF KIN.
A BANK ACCOUNT IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD THAT YOU WILL
PROVIDE 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 IN THE
RATIO OF 70% FOR ME AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE
AWARE OF THIS TRANSACTION AND 25% FOR YOU,WHILE 5%
WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR THE EXPENCES INCURED IN THE
COURSE OF THE TRANSACTION.
THERE IS NO RISK AT ALL AS ALL, THE PAPERWORKS FOR
THIS TRANSACTION WILL BE DONE BY MY COLLEAGUES AND
WITH MY POSITION AS THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR,
GURANTEES THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF THIS
TRANSACTION.
UPON YOUR RESPONSE, I SHALL THEN PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE
DETAILS AND RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT WILL HELP YOU
UNDERSTAND THE TRANSACTION VERY WELL.
PLEASE SEND ME YOUR CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE AND FAX
NUMBERS FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.
YOU SHOULD OBSERVE THE 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. PLEASE
CONTACT ME PROMPTLY THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:
tom_smart01@yahoo.com OR tom_smart01@terra.com.mx
AWAITING YOUR URGENT REPLY.
THANKS AND REGARDS,
MrTom Smart.

___________________________________________________________________________
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