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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: "Allwell Ugwu" <allwellugwu44@mstn.com>
Reply-To: allwellugwu44@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2005 21:02:28 -0500
Subject: NEXT OF KIN

Dear Friend,

I sincerely write to seek your co-operation and trusts to enable me carry out an urgent business opportunity in my department. I work with the Inland Bank Nigeria Plc; currently I am the Senior Manager of Bills and Exchange of my bank. I was the account officer to one Mr. Thompson Thorn who used work with Chevron/Texaco Nigeria limited, here in Nigeria. On the 27th of January 2002, my customer, his wife and their three children were involved in Ikeja bomb blast here in my country. My customer and his family unfortunately lost there lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my customer extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided and do some research in the internet, to locate any member of his family but all to no avail. He left in his domiciliary account the total sum of Fifteen Million United States Dollars {$15million}. Unfortunately from the day of his death till the time of this letter!
! none
of his relation or friends have come up for the claim. On this discovery, I decided do business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin to Mr. Thompson Thorn for safety and subsequent disbursement.

I personally do not want this fund to be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill. That is why I wanted the fund to be move out of the bank before I proceed on my retirement from the banking services by next year. The need for a foreigner as next of kin in this project is occasioned by the fact that the customer Mr. Thompson Thorn was a foreigner and a Nigerian cannot stand as his next of kin or heir.

I have agreed that 30% of the fund would be for you as foreign partner; thereafter I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. To enable the immediate transfer of the fund into your nominated account, you will first apply to the bank as the next of kin of the deceased, indicating your bank account number and location wherein the money will be remitted. Upon receipt of your acknowledgement indicating your interest, I will send to you the text of the application that you will send to the Inland Bank Nigeria plc authority for an approval to submit your claims.

Send your reply through my email and indicates your direct fax and telephone numbers for effective communication that this transaction needs.

Looking forward to urgently hearing from you on my below private email address: allwellugwu44@yahoo.com


Yours Faithfully,

Allwell Ugwu.


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