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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: "Jonathan Shalomi" <jshalomi@msn.com>
Reply-To: jshalomi45@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:56:11 +0000
Subject: Important message

Gulf Bank of Nigeria Plc
PC 42, Afribank Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
www.gulfbank.net

Dear Sir/Ma,

I hope this will not meet you as a surprise, as I know that I have not heard
any previous corresponding with you, but have taken interest in you, as a
result of my choice of investment. My name is Jonathan Shalomi, Deputy
General Manager - Corporate Banking, Gulf Bank of Nigeria Plc. This is an
urgent and very confidential business proposition. I am seeking your
assistance here to enable me transfer and invest the sum of $18M in LANDED
PROPERTIES there in your country. The source of these funds is as follows:

On June 6, 2001, a Foreign Oil consultant/contractor with the Nigerian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Mr. Steve Warren, made a numbered time
(Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$18,000,000.00,
(Eighteen Million Dollars) in my branch.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but
got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered
from his contract employers, the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
that Mr. Steve Warren died from an automobile accident.

On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL,
and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore made
further investigation and discovered that Mr. Steve- Warren did not declare
any next of kin or relations in his entire official documents, including his
Bank Deposit documents in my Bank. This sum of US$18,000,000.00 has
carefully been fixed in my bank for safekeeping.

No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to the Nigerian Law, at
the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of
the Government if nobody applies to claim the fund.

Consequently, my proposal is that, since Mr. Steve Warren is a Foreigner, I
will like you as a Foreigner to stand in as the owner of the money, which
was fixed deposited in my bank. I am writing you because I as a public
servant, I cannot operate a foreign account, and more so, my choice of
investment, is one of the reasons why I would want you to assist me, as I
will need your assistance to invest these in the Real Estate business, to
which any PROFIT RETURN will be shared under an agreed percentage between
the both of us, outside the normal percentage to be agreed on for your
assistance.

I want to present you as the owner of the funds so you can be able to claim
them. This is simple. I will like you to provide immediately your full names
and address, as well as your phone and fax numbers, so that all the
necessary document can be prepared, which will put you in place as the
beneficiary of the funds.

The money will be moved out for us to share in the ratio of 80% for me and
20% for you. The paperwork for this transaction will be done in accordance
to the law of the land and this guarantees the successful execution of this
transaction.

If you are interested, please reply immediately to my email address at:
shalomij45@yahoo.com, and upon your response, I shall provide you with more
details and relevant documents that will help you understand the
transaction.

Please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this
transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require
your assistance to invest my share in Real Estate within your country. This
is the major reason why I have contacted you. Due to the nature and
confidentiality in this Transaction, it should be accorded all the necessary
confidentiality required, as my job will be at stake in the event of any
eventuality.

I will pause for now, as I await your urgent response
Regards.

Jonathan Shalomi


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