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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: "Mr PRINCE AZUBUIKE" <princeazubuike2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: princeazubuike_51k@yahoo.es
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 08:38:45 -0600
Subject: reply urgent from prince

Dearest: Friend,

My Name is Mr.Prince Azubuike a credit officer with
the one of the leading (Finance Trust House) here in
Lagos . In my department i
discovered an abandoned funds (USD 12.3 M) in an account
that belongs to one of our foreign customer (MR.
William Knudson, from California, U S A) who died
along with his FRIEND in February 4, 2000 in a plane
crash.
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

Since i got information about his death, I have been
expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his
money because we cannot release it unless some body
applies for it as next of kin or relation to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidlings and
laws but unfortunately we learnt that all his
supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with
him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the
claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I now
decided to make this business proposal to you and
release the money to you as the next of kin or
relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent
disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we
don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as
unclaimed bill.

The banking law and guidline here stipulates that if
such money remained unclaimed after Six years, the
money will be transfered into the bank treasury as
unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of
kin in this business is occassioned by the fact that
the customer was a foreigner and an Indigene cannot
stand as next of kin to a foreigner.

Your percentage will be declare to you as soon as you
indicate your interest.I will visit your country for
disbursement according to the percentage indicated.
Therefore, to enable the immediate move of this fund
to you arranged,you must apply first to the bank as
relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating.

1.Your full name and address
2.Your telephone and fax number for easy
communication.
3.Your company's name and address.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax
or email the text of the application .I will not fail
to bring to your notice that this transaction is
hitch-free and that you should not entertain any atom
of fear as all required arrangements have been made
for the movement of the money.

You should contact me immediately as soon as you
receive this letter.Trusting to hear from you
immediately.

Yours Faithfully,

Mr.Prince Azubuike

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