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

Fraud email example:

From: "benson dickson" <bensondickson@accountanthome.net>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:26:52 +0000
Subject: FROM MR BENSON

>From the desk of
Mr Benson Dickson
Email:benson5@myway.com

Attn:Sir/Madam,

I am Mr Benson Dickson the personal account officer to Late Morris
Thompson,a national of your country, who used to work with shell development
Company.After shall be referred to as my client.

On 31st October 1999, my client alongside his wife and their three children
died through an air crash in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers
on board, he was travelling with his partner Mr Bradley Long when this
occure.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/ and
http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html

Meanwhile, Late Morris Thompson, my client never used his original namesand
that of his entire family to book the flight from Newyork, as he was
travelling on his personaltrip and never wanted the Shell Development
company to know about this because it was illegal and could jeoperdise his
job.

Hence it took some time to know about his death by his company on the plane
crash and beside, why you did not see your surname listed.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my
clients extended relatives for their fund, but this has also proved
unsuccessful.

I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property left
behind by my client before they get confisicated or declared unserviceable
by the bank where this huge deposit was lodged. Where the deceased had an
account valued at about $9.5
MIillion Dollars. The Bank has issued me a notice as his accounting officer
to provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated within the next
twenty one official working days.

Since I have been unsuccesfull in locating their relatives for over 4 years
now I seek your consent to present you as NEXT OF KIN of the deceased,since
you have the same surname so that the proceeds of this account valued at
$9.5 Million Dollars can be paid to you and then you and I can share the
money.

I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim
we may make. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this
deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

THANKS AND GOD BLESS.
Benson Dickson
Email:benson5@myway.com


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