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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: charles soludo <c_soludo18@virgilio.it>
Reply-To: c_soludo19@walla.com
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:39:35 +0100 (GMT+01:00)
Subject: REPLY.

Mr Charles soludo,
Operation Dept.Standard Trust Bank
Plot 147/149 New
Heaven DriveWuse
Abuja.
Re: PROPOSAL FOR FUND TRANSFER TO YOUR
DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT
Sir,
I am a staff of Standard Trust Bank,
Abuja. I will give you other important information if I receive a
positive reply from you.
I work in the operations dept where I serve
as account officer to numerous customers. One of the customers whom I
worked as his account officer was a wealthy Diamond Merchant from
neighbouring Sierra Leone. He lost his family in the war. He was lucky
to escape alive and came to this country with his wealth intact.
Unfortunately he died last year.

Because this man was good to me when
he was alive, I took it upon myself to his country last month while i
was on my Annual Leave, to see if I could locate any of his close
relations . On reaching there I discovered that his only surviving
Uncle died a few months back from Bullet Wound Infections. I sponsored
this trip on my own and nobody in My bank knew I was undertaking the
journey so I did not present any official report of my findings in
Sierra Leone. ]
Now there are two things I could do with regards to the
dead mans money. First,as his accounts officer, I could formally
notify the bank authorities that the man is dead and has no next of
kin. In this case the money would be forfeited to the government after
some time. As a matter of fact this is the proper thing I am supposed
to do.
Another thing I can do is to arrange for someone else, a
foreigner, to act as the next of kin to the late man so that he will
claim the money.
This is the option that I want to take to help anybody
that accepts to assist me and myself since the money actually is public
fund due to the fact that my friend was a close ally to the late brutal
military president that looted government treasury and that is why I
have chosen to do it.
I want you to be my partner. All you would have
to do is act as the next of kin of the dead man and the whole money in
the account will be transferred to your account. As the accounts
officer to the late man, I have all the necessary documents that you
will require to claim the money in the account.
The total money in the
account is USD17 million. Your share will be 30% which is USD5,100,000.
My own share will be 69%, which is USD11,730,000. We shall keep 1%
which is USD170,000 for expenses.
Reach me immediately by mail on
c_soludo19@walla.com
so that I can give you further details.
Also
provide me with your direct tel/fax to reach you.
Yours truly
Charles
soludo.



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