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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: "Dave Greg" <davegreg67@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 18:37:45 +0000
Subject: MY LATE CLIENT'S FUNDS (URGENT)

>From the desk of:Mr.DAVID GREG
Account Manager (Platinum Bank Limited )
Reply to: davegreg67@hotmail.com
Head Office
Plot 707 Adeola Hopewell Street
PMB 80054, Victoria Island, Lagos

Dear

I am Mr. David Greg, Chief Accountant with PLATINUM BANK LTD (P.B.LTD) I am
writing this letter to ask for your support and cooperation to carry out
this business opportunity in my department. We discovered an abandoned sum
of ($18.5 Million United States Dollars) in an account that belongs to one
of our foreign customers Late Engineer Allan , who died in the Ikeja bomb
blast of the January 27, 2002 . My client, unfortunately died in the
hospital .

Since we heard of his death, we have been expecting his next-of-kin to come
over and put claims for his money as the heir, because 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. Unfortunately, neither
their family member nor distant relative has ever appeared to claim the said
fund. Upon this discovery, I and other officials in my department have
agreed to make business with you and release the total amount into your
account as the heir of the fund since no one came for it or discovered his
maintained account with our bank, otherwise the fund will be returned to the
banks treasury as unclaimed fund. We have agreed that our ratio of sharing
will be as stated thus; 50 % for you as foreign partner, 50 % for us the
officials in my department .

Upon the successful completion of this transfer, I and one of my colleagues
will come to your country and mind our share. To commence this transaction,
we require you to immediately indicate your interest by a return e-mail and
enclose your private contact telephone number, fax number full name and
address to enable us file letter of claim to the appropriate departments
fornecessary approvals before the transfer can be made.

Note also, this transaction must be kept STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL because of
its nature.

I look forward to receiving your prompt response. Please reply in confidence
to davegreg67@hotmail.com or call me with this number 234-1 471 9841

Mr David Greg
(Account Manager )
PLATINUM BANK LIMITED.

For confirmation, please refer to the links below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2718295.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/worald/africa/2698081.stm
http://www.worldsocialist-cwi.org/index2.html?/eng/2002/02/02.html


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