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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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Fraud email example:

From: "Kofi William" <kofiwilliam01@yahoo.ca> (may be fake)
Reply-To: kw000011@katamail.com
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 20:36:32 -0800
Subject: From: Kofi William

Your Honor,
I am Kofi William, the Director of Bill and Exchange, Foreign Remittance Department of one of the leading banks here in Accra -Ghana. I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. This business request may seem strange, but I crave your indulgence and pray you view it seriously as I am convinced that you would be capable to provide me with a solution to a money transfer. On August 2002, a retired Atlanta physician Mr George Brumley Jr made a numbered time (fixed) deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$9,800,000.00(Nine Million eight Hundred Thousand 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 discovered from his contract employers, that the Atlanta physician Mr George Brumley Jr and his family died in the plane crash On July 2003. See site below for confirmation of the death. May their G!
entle souls rest in peace.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html

On further investigation, I found out that he died alongside his entire family and attempts to trace any of his relation were fruitless. Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his extended (family members) to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and laws but unfortunately, it was discovered that he dies without making a WILL nor declaring any Next of Kin/Heir in all his deposit documents with our bank. This sum of US$9,500,000.00 and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. If no one ever comes forward to claim it according to Senegalese law at the expiration of (three) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Senegalese Government.

Consequently, my proposal now is for as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Mr George Brumley Jr and claim this funds so that the fruit of this old man's labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt Government officials. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in ratio of 40% for me and 40% for you and 10 % will be set aside for expenses incurred during the business while the other 10% will be given to charity organization. A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. There is no risk at all as it will be handled in such a way that no law of any country will be violated and with my position in the bank, the successful execution of this transaction is guaranteed. If this is of interest to you, kindly get back to me with your personal data including your direct telephone and fax number, for me to commence the needed underground !
work here. I shall provide you with more details on how we should proceed.

Please observe utmost confidentiality and be rest assured that this transaction will be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in your country.

Awaiting your urgent reply.
Regards,

Kofi William




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