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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: "Dr. Demian Mutaf" <drmutaf01@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: drmutaf01@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:10:01 +0000
Subject: Re:Contact Me

>From The Desk of: Branch Operations Manager
Custody / Clearing Natwest Bank London
Milton Keynes
501 Silbury Boulevard
Saxon Gate East MK9 3ER
London, UK
www.natwest.com

Dear Prospective Partner,
How are you today and business in your country? I amDr Demian Mutaf, of
the above address. I wouldrespectfully request that you keep the contents
ofthis mail confidential and respect the integrity ofthe information you
come by as a result of this email.

I would like to intimate you with certain facts that Ibelieve would be of
interest to you. I know you wouldbe wondering why I am writing you with a
request suchas this especially through my official web address,all is in the
bid to erase the fear of trivialitiesand hoax because of the world today and
to alsoestablish the legitimacy of my proposal. But withfaith and God on my
side I will only urge you to readon for clear understanding.

In June 1998, a German Oil consultant/contractor withthe British Solid
Minerals Corporation, Mr. BENJAMIN JESSE-JAMES made anumbered time (Fixed)
Deposit for twelve calendarmonths (AMOUNT WITHELD FOR SECURITY REASONS) with
mybank where I am Branch Operations Manager.Upon maturity of his deposit,
Natwest bank investmentsand loans department sent a routine notification
tohis forwarding address in America and Germany but gotno reply.

After a month, we also sent a reminder andfinally discovered from his
contract employers, theBritish Solid Minerals Corporation that Mr.
BENJAMINJESSE-JAMES died alongside his wife, from the planecrash in Nova
Scotia which you can as well view.

http://www.greatdreams.com/crash.htm

This led to my bank's immediate launch of aninvestigation into reaching a
possible surviving nextof kin
to alert about the situation and also to comeforward to claim his estate.If
you are familiar withprivate banking affairs, those who patronize
Natwestservices usually prefer anonymity, but also somelevels of detachment
from conventional processes.Inhis bio-data form, he listed no next of kin.

In thefield of private banking, opening an account with usmeans no one will
know of its existence since accountsare rarely held under a particular name
becausedepositors use numbers and codes to make the accountsanonymous. I
must let you know that Natwest bank also gives thechoice to depositors of
having messages sent to themor held at the bank itself, ensuring that there
are notraces of the account and as such rarely do theynominate next of kin.
Private banking clients apartfrom not nominating next of kin also usually in
mostcases leave wills in our care, in this case; MR.BENJAMIN JESSE-JAMES
died interstate.


In line with our internal processes for accountholders who have passed away,
we instituted our own investigations in goodfaith to determine who should
have right to claim theestate.This investigation has for the past months
beenunfruitful because no one has been contacted as far asthis management is
concerned.

We have scanned everycontinent and used our private investigation
affiliatecompanies to get to the root of the problem. This very large sum
has since been sitting in my Bankand the interest is being rolled over with
theprincipal sum at the end of each year.No one will evercome forward to
claim it, and according to the Laws ofBritain, at the expiration of 7(seven)
years, themoney will revert to the ownership of the BritishGovernment if
nobody applies to claim the funds.

What Iwish to relate to you will smack of unethicalpractice but I want you
to understand something,it isonly an outsider to the
banking world who finds theinternal politics of the banking world
aberrational. The world of banking especially is fraught with hugerewards
for those who occupy certain offices andoversee certain portfolios.

You should have begun bynow to put together the general direction of what
Ipropose. There is alarge amount of money deposited inmy bank,I as the
Branch Operations Manager alone havethe deposit details and I will release
the due fundsto no one unless evidence of relationship with thedeceased.
Since I alone have the power to attest tothe claim and know of the existence
of this deposit.As far as HSBC bank is concerned, the bank'smanagement has
no single idea of what’s thehistory or nature of the deposit.

They are simplyawaiting instructions to release the deposit to anyparty that
comes forward. This is the situation. This bank has spent greatamounts of
money trying to track this man’sfamily; they
have investigated for months and havefound no family

. This investigation has come to an end. Consequently,my proposal is that I
will like you as a foreigner tostand in as the next of kin to MR.
BENJAMINJESSE-JAMES so that the fruits of this old man's laborwill not get
into the hands of some corrupt alreadyrich government officials. I am aware
of the consequences of this proposal.

I askthat if you find no interest in this project that youplease let me
know.I plead that you do not bevindictive and destructive. If my offer or
percentageshare is of no appeal to you,please let me knowbecause of the time
frame available of the said fundsbeing confiscated, but please do not
destroy my careerbecause you do not approve of my proposal to you.

You may not know this but people like me who have madetidy sums out of
comparable situations run the whole private bankingsector. I am not a
criminal and what I do, I do not find against goodconscience, this may be
hard for you to understandnow, but the dynamics of my industry dictates
that I make this move and fast, because suchopportunities only come ones'
way and probably oncein a lifetime.

I cannot let this chance pass me by,for once I find myself in total control
of my destiny.I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if you willnot work
with me let me know and let me move on withmy life but do not destroy me.
I am a family man andthis is an opportunity to provide my family with
newopportunities.

There is no risk whatsoever as all the paperwork,myposition as a Branch
Operations Manager with HSBCbank guarantee the successful execution of this
transaction.

If you are interested in this lucrativerole, I urge you to indicate to that
effect.Upon yourresponse, if favorable, I shall then provide you withmore
details and relevant information that will help you get full understanding
of the transaction.
More information awaits you in my next response toyour email message.
Please reply me through this confidential emailaddress as I might not be
accessing the email box Iused in sending this email to you.
Yours Faithfully,
Branch Operations Manager,
Dr Demian Mutaf.


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