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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: "jamesdole" <jamesdole00@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 09:25:45 PST
Subject: BUSINESS TRANSACTION:

DEAR SIR,

MY NAME IS MR.JAMES DOLE WITH THE MINING FINANCE DEPT. WITH STANDARD BANK
LONDON.WE HAD A FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DEPOSITED A HUGE SUM OF MONEY WITH OUR
BANK, WHO LATER DIED AS A RESULT OF PLANE CRASH IN 1999. BEFORE HIS DEATH,
HE TRANSFERED THE SUM OF US$22.5M (TWENTY-TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATES DOLLARS) TO A BANK IN EUROPE THROUGH A FINANCIAL CONSULTANT.

SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN
INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS
COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF US$22.5M (TWENTY-TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WHICH HAS BEEN WITH THE BANK IN EUROPE FOR
A VERY LONG TIME. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOSE NAME SHALL BE
USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN. IN
VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY`S FOREIGN TRADE MISSION
AFTER I WAS CONVINCED BY PROVIDENCE THAT YOU COULD BE USED AS THE NEXT OF
KIN.

THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS
OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND YOU SHARE THE
SAME SURNAME AND SOMEBODY IN LONDON CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO OUR
LATE CUSTOMER I AGREED THAT US$5 MILLION OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A
FOREIGN PARTNER FOR PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT, WHILE THE REST WILL BE FOR ME,
THEREAFTER, I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE
FOR RETIREMENT.

THEREFORE, TO FACILITATE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR
ACCOUNT AS BEEN ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE FINANCIAL CONSULTANT
AS A RELATION TO THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND
FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE
REMITTED. UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL
THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS
BUSINESS IS HITCH-FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE
WHOLE REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER.

YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL
TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YOURS FAITHFULLY.

MR. JAMES DOLE.






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