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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "martin udo" <barmartinudo1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: martinudo_777@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 06:35:02 -0900
Subject: ATTN: DO CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF THIS MAIL

Martin Udo and Co,
Legal Practitioner and solicitors
# 11 Kenneth Philips Layout,
Plot 954A, Idejo Street
off Adeola Odeku Street
Victoria IslandLagos
P.O. Box 56106, Falomo,
Lagos.

Regarding My Dear Friend,

I crave your indulgence for this unsolicited nature it
was out of desperation and eagerness that made me to
contact you,to introduce myself,I am Barrister Martin
Udo,a solicitor at law.

As it may interest you to know, I got your impressive
information after a conscious search for a reliable
and matured person who has all it takes to execute
this project.

I was elated when i saw your address, and i picked a
keen interest with confidence to solicit for your help
in executing this opportunity.

However, I was moved to contact you based on the
present situation of this opportunity which i may say
that it is a God given offer, there was a foreigner
who lived here in NIGERIA some time ago called Arthur
Billings by name, and it happened that the man
registered with me as his personal attorney,
unfortunately the man died with his wife and their two
kids in a plane crash which happened on 30th
October,2003. Owing to the death of this man called
Arthur Billings by name, his bank called on me for his
balance with the bank as his attorney since January
2000,to invite his relatives to come and claim the
money, I tried all i could to trace his family, but
all my efforts proved abortive, then from January this
year 2003,till now, the bank has been pressurizing me
to look for his family because they realize that a lot
of swindlers have been forwarding application to claim
the money as his next of kin, but it happened that
after much verification, they will find out that those
people were crooks, because they cannot provide a
legal evidence to prove that they were his relative.

Moreover, I have decided to use you as his next of kin
to claim the money for my own personal use as it
happen that his relatives were not available up till
now, and i have all his documented memo in my file
which will back you up before the bank as his next of
kin, I will still obtain a genuine legal evidence
which i will make out in your name to satisfy that you
are the rightful next of kin to the deceased.

Furthermore ,the amount involved is
($12.750,000.00)Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and
Fifty Thousand United States Dollars, therefore i will
like you to furnish me with your full name and address
which i will use to secure the legal documents, as
soon as i receive your address, I will forward an
application to you which you will submit to the
concerned bank as his next of kin.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us
see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be
executed under legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law. Please send in
your full name and your phone no. as soon as you show
keen interest.

Be rest assured that their is no risk involved as i
have perfected and made the necessary arrangements to
back you up in claiming the fund.

Finally, you have to maintain the high secret this
business demands as the bank does not know that i am
using you to claim the money on my own, besides Since
I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives of
my client , I seek your prompt consent to present you
as the next of kin of the client so that the proceeds
of this account valued ($12.750,000.00)Twelve Million,
Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars
can be paid to your account and then you and I can
share the money according to any agreed ratio.

Therefore you can now forward your address and your
full name, and i will furnish you with the application
as soon as you reply this mail.

Thanks as i await your reply.
Best Regards,

Barrister.Martin Udo...Esq.



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