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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: "johnson craig" <jo_craig2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: jo_craig1000@yahoo.es
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:40:21 +0000
Subject: Concerning a Tsunami Victim

Dear Friend,

I am contacting you in respect of A foreign construction engineer who was
resident here in United Kingdom.My client died with his family while on
Vacation at Phuket Island in Thailand in December 2004.Asia Earth Quake
Disaster(TSUNAMI DISASTER)
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/tsunami.disaster/ On the 6th of
January 2005,I recieved a phone call as his personal Attorney which broke
the tragic news of my clients death in the Tsunami disaster. Since then I
have made several enquiries to locate any of his extended relatives which
has proved unsuccessful.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over
the internet hence I contacted you. I seek your consent and assistance in
repartriating money left behind by my late client before it gets confiscated
or declared unserviceable by the bank where the deposit is
lodged. The deposit is valued US$10.500,000.00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars only) and it is lodged with bank.

The bank has issued me an ultimatum to present a next-of-kin of the deceased
to inherit the funds or have the account declared serviceable two weeks
ago.The board of directors of his Finance Company adopted a resolution and I
was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this money within
28 working days or forfeit the money to the bank as an abandoned property.
The bankers had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996 to
confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me.

I here by seek your consent to present you to the bank as next-of-kin of the
deceased, so that the proceeds of this account valued US$10,500,000.00 can
be transferred to you as inheritance, and thereafter you and me will share
50% of the money while 40% will be donated to the Tsunami Disaster Charity
Fund. Then the remaining 10% is for any expenses incured during the course
securing this fund to you.

I have necessary legal documents that will be used to support claim of the
inheritance from the Finance Company. All I require is your honesty
co-operation to enable us see the transaction through. I guarantee that the
transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law.To commence the process of claiming
the funds,

I will require the following information from you,

1.Your Full name.
2.YourTelephone and fax numbers.
3.Your Date of birth.
5.Your Occupation.

As soon as I recieve these information I will file-in a formal application
to the bank for the inheritance in your name as next-of-kin of the
deceased.That will enable the bank to process the transaction with you as
beneficiary and remit the funds in your name as (Inheritor).

With Best Regards,
Johnson Craig


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