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: charlesgarth2003@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 14:43:13 -0700
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?reply=20soon=20please=2E?=

FIRST MERIT BANK
LONDON.

Dear Friend
PRIVATE AND URGENT.

I am Mr. Charles Garth, and 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 end of the day. I decided to contact you
due to the urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION:

I am the account officer to Dr. Mohamed Galal (deceased) one of our foreign
customers. While he banked with us, I oversaw his accounts and other official/financial
obligations as my office demanded being his accounts officer. Unfortunately,
he died along with his entire family in the plane crash of 31 October 1999
on board the Egyptian Airline 990 alongside other passengers.
Please consult the website below for verification.

Www.greatdreams.com/PassEAir990.htm.

While he was alive, I ever knew none of his family members other than his
immediate nuclear family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations
has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. I 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.

Having made a very frantic and exhaustive for search of any of his family
members for the claim of the fund proved abortive, I decided to take my
chance with you. I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of
kin to the deceased as I have all documentations including his certified
Death Certificate that will facilitate your stand as next of kin to him
as he had a closing balanced of 11,500,000.00 GBPS (Great British Pounds
Sterling) here in our bank in London. I also have secured from the probate
an order of mandamus to locate any member of deceased family to become beneficiary
of this fund.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business
endeavor by furnishing me with the following:
1. Beneficiary name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers

These requirements will enable me make some internal re-adjustments and
file your name in all the forms and other vital documents as next of kin
which before now was left blank by the deceased upon opening of the account
seven years ago. Upon your reply, I will advice the way forward. I must
assure you that if you are serious and follow my instructions carefully,
and then these funds will be released to you within a seven-working-day
period.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you.

I await your urgent mail through my Email address please: charlesgarth04@mixmail.com

Thanks and best regards.

Mr. Charles Garth.
Email: charlesgarth04@mixmail.com



------------------------------------------
Use o melhor sistema de busca da Internet
Radar UOL - http://www.radaruol.com.br



Anti-fraud resources: