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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Hugh Grant" <mr_hugh_grant@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:52:51 +0000
Subject: My Warm Greetings To You

HUGH GRANT (MR.)
FAX: +448701347930
20TH OCT, 2005
Email: mr_wang_a@yahoo.co.uk

My Warm Greetings To You,
I am Hugh Grant, I work with a bank in UK, we want to transfer Five Million
British Pounds Sterling ((£5,000,000.00 ) only,
from my bank, I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest
person who will be capable and fit
to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new bank account
immediately
to receive this money, even an empty account can serve to receive this
money.
This fund was discovered during the course of our auditing; I discovered a
floating fund in an account
opened in the security company in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on
this account again. After going through some old files in the records, I
discovered
that the owner of the account died without a heir, hence the money has been
floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be
forfeited for nothing
the owner of this account was Mr. Robert Friedland, a foreigner, and an
industrialist,
he died since 2003 and no other person knows about this account or anything
concerning it. The account has no beneficiary and my investigation proved to
me as
well that Mr. Robert Friedland until his death was the Chairman/Chief
Executive of Galactic Resources Ltd.
(Vancouver, British Columbia) before the company became bankrupt in 1993.
We therefore plan to transfer the £5 million [£5,000,000.00]only, into a
safe account that you are to provide.
I am contacting you as a foreigner because this money can only be approved
to a
foreigner with a valid International Passport or Drivers license and foreign
account
because the former owner of the account Mr. Robert Friedland is a foreigner,
I will
like us if you don’t mind to sign a binding Agreement that will bind us
together in the business,
I am revealing all this to you with the belief that you will never let me
down in this business,
you are the first and the only person I am contacting for the business so
please reply urgently
for me to tell you the next step to take.
You should forward your telephone and fax numbers to my personal email
address: mr_wang_a@yahoo.co.uk.
You will have to give me the assurance when we meet that this money will be
intact pending our physical arrival
in your country for sharing and disbursement of the fund which will be 30%
for your assistance, 70% will be for us.
I look forward to your earliest response.
Best regards,
HUGH GRANT.


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