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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: "Info Info" <info@legalpractitioners.org>
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 18:16:25 +0000
Subject: Urgent Message

Greetings

Dear Friend,

Firstly I must solicit your confidence here.

I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive
but you should be assured that at the end of it all, all concerned will
smile. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this matter.

By introduction, I am Barrister Benjamin Coker an attorney to late Edwards
CYPHER . I got your contact through my private search and I decided to ask
your personal involvement. I believe you will be of assistance.

I am therefore contacting you over a foreigner, late Edwards CYPHER, an
engineer who was a petroleum consultant/contractor with the government of
Nigeria and other agencies, until his death over two years ago in a ghastly
motoraccident he left behind the sum of Nine Million Three hundred
Thousand($9.3M)with Standard Trust Bank Lagos branch,and the bank have
given me as his personal attorney to come up with late Mr EDWARDS CYPHER
next kin before the middle of October, 2005, to make claim to the sum of
Nine Million, Three Hundred Thousand(US$9.3m)dollars, which the bank now
expects the next of kin to claim as the beneficiary.

All efforts by me to contact any of his relatives has proved unsuccessful.

And if this fund is not claimed be the time given by the bank, the board of
directors will place the fund as UNCLAIMED, if the account continues to
remain unserviced,this will also amount to the bank converting the money
into their own official capital base.

In order to prevent this, i am seeks your permission to have you stand as
the next of kin to the late engineer EDWARDS CYPHER, so that the fund will
be released and paid into your account as the beneficiary.

All documents to enable you get this fund Will be carefully worked out by me
.This proposal is 100% risk free on your side, my side too,i have agreed
that 45% of the total fund, when remitted into the bank account which you
will provide will be your share.Then, up to 10% of the fund will stand as
costs for incidental expenses. The remaining 45% will be my own share.

Please treat this matter as urgent and confidential matter.In your reply
forward to me your direct contact telephone and Fax line.

Yours faithfully,

Barrister Benjamin Coker.


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