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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "ladi Rotimi Williams" <ladiwilliams234@msn.com>
Reply-To: ladirotimiw@netscape.net
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 10:55:54 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY

BARRISTER LADI WILLIMAS (CHAMBERS)
(TAX,TRUST,ESTATE$CONVEYANCER)
102 TINUBU-SQUARE LAGOS
REPULIC OF NIGERIA.
REG:# 9545821/78

                                                                             
RE: NEXT OF KIN TO MY LATE CLIENT.
 
Dear One,
 
Compliment of the day,I am Barrister Ladi Williams,a legal Solicitor. I was the Personal Attorney and legal adviser to Mr.James, a national of your country.who used to work with Mobil oil Company here in Nigeria.On the 7th of April 2004, my client, his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Badagery Express Road,all occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I contacted you I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get impounded by the bank.Particularly,Ecobank Nigeria Plc. where the deceased had deposited the fund valued at about Fifteen million, five hundred thousand united states dollars($Us.15.5million).The bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated/impounded before the next one year.
 
 
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over a year now, I seek for your consent to present you as the next to the deceased therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer.

I have all necessary formation and legal documents needed to back you up for claim.All I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through.I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
 
 
Please contact me immediately to enable us discuss further.

Best Regards,
Barrister Ladi Williams.

 
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