joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
 Free trial for 30 days
   jwSpamSpy
Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Wilson Chukwu" <wilsonchukwu200@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: wilson_c@myway.com
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 00:00:24 +0000
Subject: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.........................

DEAREST,

MY NAME IS MR.WILSON CHUKWU, PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT ALLIED AND BOND BANK.

I AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK(WILLIAM
BARNES, OF AMERICA) WHO PERISHED IN THE PLANE CRASH OF 31 OCTOBER 1999[WITH
EGYPTIAN AIRLINE 990] WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABOARD AS YOU CAN SEE FROM
THE WEBSITE BELOW : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/world/americas/502503.stm

SIR/MADAM, SINCE THE DEMISE OF WILLIAM BARNES, I PERSONALLY HAVE
WATCHED WITH KEEN INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED
ABORTIVE
AS NO ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM HER FUNDS OF USD30M,[THIRTY MILLION UNITED
STATES DOLLARS]HAS BEEN WITH OUR BANK HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE
NEXT OF KIN, AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO PUT CLAIM AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO
THIS FUNDS AND THE BANKING ETHICS HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY
MORE THAN SIX YEARS, BECAUSE AFTER SIX YEARS THE MONEY WILL BE CALLED
BACK TO THE
BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY'S FOREIGN TRADE
MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED IN MY MIND THAT YOUR NAME/COMPANY COULD BE
USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THIS CLAIM. THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS
A NEXT OF KIN ITHIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE
CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A NIGERIAN CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO A
FOREIGNER.

I AGREED THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN
RESPECT OF PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT WHILE 10% WILL TAKE OF ANY EXPENSES
THAT MIGHT BE INCURRED IN THE PROCESS OF SUCCEEDING THE TRANSFER AND THE
REST WILL BE FOR ME. THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR
DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR ACCEPTANCE, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL A
DRAFT APPLICATION OF CLAIM WHICH YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT
OF KIN AND THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH
FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED
ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN PERFECTED FOR THE TRANSFER. PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE
EMAIL ADDRESS : wilson_c@myway.com

HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

REGARDS,

MR.WILSON CHUKWU


Anti-fraud resources: