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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: "Bode Newton" <bodenewton3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: bode2005newton@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 23:41:15 +0000
Subject: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

MR. BODE NEWTON.
CREDIT AND FOREIGN DEPARTMENT
STANDARD TRUST BANK PLC
MARINA- BRANCH, LAGOS.

ATTN: SIR/MADAM,

MY NAME IS MR. BODE NEWTON THE MANAGER, CREDIT AND FOREIGN BILLS OF STANDARD
TRUST BANK PLC. I AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK
WITH ACCOUNT NUMBER 14-255-2004/UTB/T WHO PERISHED IN A PLANE CRASH [KOREAN
AIR FLIGHT 801] WITH THE WHOLE PASSENGERS ABOARD ON AUGUST 6, 1997.

SINCE THE DEMISE OF THIS OUR CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY HAS 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 $25 M, [TWENTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES
DOLLARS] WHICH HAS BEEN WITH MY BRANCH FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

ON THIS NOTE, I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE NEXT
OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN. AND THE BANKING ETHICS
HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT
WHILE SEARCHING THROUGH THE INTERNET AFTER REALIZING THAT YOUR NAME AND
COUNTRY IS SIMILAR TO THE DECEASED. I WILL GIVE YOU 30% OF THE TOTAL SUM.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR RESPONSE, I WILL SEND YOU BY E-MAIL THE APPLICATION
AND 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 ALL
MODALITIES FOR FUND TRANSFER CAN BE FINALIZED WITH IN FIVE BANKING DAYS,
AFTER YOU APPLY TO THE BANK AS A RELATION TO THE DECEASED.

WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER. KINDLY SEND ME AN E-MAIL ADDRESS THROUGH
SIGNIFYING YOUR DECISION INCLUDING YOUR PRIVATE TEL/FAX NUMBERS FOR QUICK
COMMUNICATION.

ANY DELAY IN YOUR REPLY WILL GIVE ME ROOM IN SOURCING ANOTHER PERSON FOR
THIS SAME PURPOSE. PLEASE ASSURE ME THAT YOU WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY AS I
STATED HEREIN. FOR IMMEDIATE COMMENCEMENT ON THIS TRANSACTION, RESPECTFULLY
SUBMITTED,

BEST REGARDS

MR. BODE NEWTON
CREDIT AND FOREIGN DEPARTMENT
STANDARD TRUST BANK PLC


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