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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: "GARY POLLEN" <gary_pollen@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: garypollen@uk2.net
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 00:30:13 +0000
Subject: PRIVATE AND URGENT

From: Gary pollen.
Bills & Exchange Department
Irish Nationwide Building Society
Bankcentre,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4, Ireland


PRIVATE AND URGENT

I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of
money from a deceased customer's account who On the 25th of July 2000,
the deceased, German property magnate Andreas Schranner, 64, his wife
Maria, 62, their daughter Andrea Eich, 38, her husband Christian, 57,
and their children Katharina, eight, and Maximilian, 10, all perished
in the jet. You can read through for more information via the following
; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
Although I know that a transaction of this magnitude might make anyone
apprehensive,I would like to assure you that we are sending you this
mai! l with the best of intensions.

Since then We have been trying to get this funds out of the bank, the
sum of US$11,500,000.00 (Eleven Million, Five Hundred United States
Dollars) in an account that belongs to our foreign customers who died
along with his entire family in the above accident stated above.

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward
to lay claims to this money as the heir. We cannot release the fund
from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to


the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this
discovery, we now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of
kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out
by us for the funds (US$11,500,000.00) to be released in your favour
as the beneficiary's next of kin.It may interest you to know that we
have secured from the probate court, an order of ! madamus to locate
any of the deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowl edge receipt of this
message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing
me with the following;

1. Your Full Names and Address.
2. Direct Telephone and Fax numbers.

These requirements will enable us file a letter of claim to the
appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before
the transfer can be made. We shall be compensating you with 1.5 Million
Dollars on final conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be
for us.

Your share stays with you while the rest shall be for us for investment
purposes in your country.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of
the trust we have bestowed in you, I await your urgent response to this
email. You can as well reach me via Email:garypollen@uk2.net

Regards,
Dr. Gary pollen


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