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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: "Chinedu Akpa" <chineduakpa3@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 16:34:36 +0000
Subject: urgent

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Mr Chinedu Akpa, personal attorney to Mr. Mark
Anthony, an expatriate who used to work with
Accredited Oil Company here in Nigeria, West Africa.
On the 2nd of January 2005, I received a call that my
client died in the Tsunami
Disaster with his wife and only child while on
vacation at Phuket Island in Thailand. Since then I
have made several enquiries to locate any of my
client's extended relatives and until date have not
succeeded.
I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the
money left behind by my client before it gets
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank
where this deposit is lodged. Particularly, the bank
where the deceased had an account valued at
US$7,500,000.00 (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars).
The bank has issued me a notice to provide the
next-of-kin or have the account confiscated. Since I
have been unsuccessful in locating the biological
relatives of my late client, I hereby seek your
consent to present you to the bank as next-of-kin of
the deceased since you are a foreigner, so that the
proceeds of this account valued at US$7.5 Million can
be transferred to you as inheritance and thereafter,
you and me can share the money; 50% to me and 40% to
you, while 10% will be donated to the Tsunami Disaster
Charity Fund.
We shall start the first transfer with US$3,500,000.00
(Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars only), upon the successful actualization of
the first transfer without any disappointment from
your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the
remaining amount to your account.
I have the original copy of Certificate of Deposit of
the funds, which will be used to substantiate our
inheritance claims. All I require is your consent and
honest co-operation to enable us see the deal through.
Furthermore, I guarantee that the transaction will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law.
Please contact me if you are interested immediately
via my personal email:
chineduakpa4@yahoo.com to enable us commence on the
transaction.
Thank you.
With best regards,
Mr. Chinedu Akpa


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