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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: "Barrister Victor Uche" <barristervictoruche@msn.com>
Reply-To: barristervictoruche2000@yahoo.co.in
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 03:48:03 +0000
Subject: Dear Sir/Madam.

FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER UCHE VICTOR (LLB,BL)
LEGAL PRACTITIONER & CORPORATE CONSULTANTS.
OFFICE 44 KOFO ABAYOMI AVENUE
VICTORIA ISLAND
LAGOS-NIGERIA.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Barrister Victor Uche, a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to
Mr.Steve Anderson. who used to work with Agip Oil Company in Nigeria.On the
21st of April 2003, his wife and their three children were involved in a car
accident along Sagamu Express Road.Unfortunately, they all lost their lives
in the event of the accident.Since then I have made several enquiries to
your Embassy to locate any of my client's relatives, this has also proved
unsuccessful. After
these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over
theInternet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence, I
contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client
in a Bank. Particularly, the Finance House where the deceased deposited the
US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only) knows me very
well and has ask me to present some one to claim the fund left by my late
client as they all know I am his attorney.

Consequently, this Bank issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin
toclaim the US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only) in
their custody within the next ten official working days. Since I have been
unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I
seekyourconsent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased to claim
the fund as the Next of Kin to him so that the fund will be transferred to
your account by the Bank.

Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you
for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in
this order: 70% will be for me, 30% will be for you. I have all the
necessary legal documents that can back our claim we may make with the Bank.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Best regards.

Victor Uche
Principal Attorney.


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