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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: "eric wong" <erickw113@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 19:53:54 -1200
Subject: (No subject header)

Mr.Eric Wong.
99 Queens Road,
Central London
Uk.


Dear Friend,

I write you in good faith, hoping that you will treat this
letter as a
desperate search for assistance in a matter that shall
benefit both of
us.

A random search based on your locality from the Internet
produced your
address, Please i apologise for this medium of contact as it
appears
the only definate way i can have assistance with this
matter.

I am Mr Eric Wong,Former Head of Private Banking, Union Bank
Of
China,Presently based in London, United Kingdom.Also
account Manager to a deceased Immigrant property magnate who
was based
in
the U.K, and had vast business interest in Hong Kong and and
China
,also referred to as my client.

On Monday, 31 July, 2000, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK , my client,
his wife and
their two Children died in the Air France concord plane
crash bound for
New York in their plan for a world cruise

I have been managing his Bank accounts in Hong Kong, and
some
Properties which he had put out for sale. The properties
which have
long been put out on sale have been paid for, and the money
paid has
long
been deposited into his local bank account here. I have
contacted you
to assist in repatriating the money and estate left behind
by my client
before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by my
Former
Bank.
Particularly, the bank has issued me with a notice to
provide any of
his
next of kin or have the account confiscated within a short
period of
time.My late client has an account is valued at 18 Million
United
States
Dollars Only

I therefore made further investigation,with the personel
department and
discovered that did not declare any kin or relations in all
his
official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in
my Bank.
This sum
of US$18million is still sitting in my Former Bank and the
interest is
being
rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year.
No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws
of Hong
Kong, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will
revert to the
ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to
claim the
fund.

I now seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to
my
deceased client, so that the proceeds of his account valued
at 18
Million
United States Dollars Only can be paid to you, I will like
you to
provide
immediately your full names and address so that the attorney
will
prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will put
you in
place as the next of kin.

The money will be paid to you for us to share in the ratio
of 60% for
me and 35% for you and 5%, after completion,for Expenses
Incurred in
the
course of the transaction .There is no risk at all as all
the paperwork
for this transaction will be done by the attorney and with
my position
as the Head Private Banking guarantees the successful
execution of this
transaction. If you are interested, please reply immediately
to my
email: erickw112@yahoo.com.hk

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see
this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a
legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law. Trust me
as his
Manager of his Estates, as i have all the needed
information, that this
is a risk-free relationship.You should observe utmost
confidentiality,
and rest assured that this transaction would be most
profitable for
both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest
my share
in
your country.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Thanks and regards.

Eric Wong.

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