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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: "David Johnson" <davjohnson02@msn.com>
Reply-To: davidjohnson1920@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2005 10:21:00 +0000
Subject: Attn: sir, please get back to me as soon as possible...

FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER DAVID JOHNSON
NO 14b plot 1243 Victoria Island Lagos-Nigeria.
Email; davjohnson02@msn.com

Attn: sir,

Good day to you and your family. I am sorry if writing you this unsolicited
mail which may come as an embarrassment or insult to you but please take you
time to read and get back to me. This mail is regard to my late client,
(name withheld for now hope you understand) a foreigner of your country, who
used to work with shell development Oil Company here in Nigeria. He died in
an air crash while traveling with his entire family (wife and three kids)
from Lagos to Kano for a holiday in my country. This happened on the 6th of
April 2002 and I have ever since been searching for a relative or close
friend of his to no avail. With me his is death certificate and deposit
certificate to prove this and being his attorney I know that he did not
leave any will before his death so I have contacted you for the following
reasons.

1). He left the sum of six million United States dollars with some
properties worth about eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which I now
need someone from the same country or share the same last name to stand as
the true next of kin.

2). To provide an account here this funds will be transferred to when all
requirement would have been meet by us to the bank where the fund is lodge.

As a lawyer and the personal attorney to the deceased, I am now asked to
provide the Next-Of-Kin of my late client by the Bank here in Nigeria where
his money is been deposited. As a result of this I am now contacting you to
come and claim what belongs to my late client. Note: That your nationality
and area of specialization does not matter, therefore I am seeking for your
consent and assistance to present you as the true beneficiary and
Next-Of-Kin to my late client. This transaction is 100% risk free and is
expected take about 14 working days to conclude as soon as you indicate your
interest also I shall be sending the death certificate as prove to my story
as soon as you indicate your interest.

I await your urgent response,

Best regards.
Barrister David Johnson


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