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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: "DANIEL DAVIDS" <daniel_davids7@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 14:07:08 +0000
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF MR DANIEL DAVIDS

FROM THE DESK OF MR DANIEL DAVIDS
UNIVERSAL TRUST BANK NIG. PLC
BILLS AND TREASURY DEPARTMENT

30/32 CREEK ROAD APAPA
LAGOS - NIGERIA.
Tel: 234 803 7251423
email:d_davids101@yahoo.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

With presumed reliance, let me introduce myself. My name is Mr. Daniel David . I am the manager bills and treasury department with the Universal Trust Bank of Nigeria Plc. I got your contact over the Internet in my search for the relatives of one of our numerous customers who died accidentally alongside with his family having discovered that you share the same name.

During our routine check in my branch, I discovered an abandoned sum of ($8.4M USD) Eight Million, Four hundred thousand United States Dollars in an account belonging to one of our foreign customers, an expatriate that was working with one of the leading Oil Company in Nigeria before his accidental death alongside with his entire family on Saturday 4th May 2002 via the ill-fated EAS Airline crash. This incident was highly publicized. You may visit the following websites to confirm this incident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm  
http://www.usafricaonline.com/ngrkanocrash.html

Ever since then, several attempts have been made to locate his relatives without success. So far, valuable efforts have been made to get to his people but to no avail, as he had no known relatives. More because he left his next of kin column in his account opening forms blank. I have been expecting his relatives or next of kin to come over and claim his money because it cannot be claimed unless somebody applies officially for it as his next of kin as indicated in our banking guide.

Unfortunately, I discovered that all his supposed next of kin (his wife and children) died with him over the plane crash incident. Over the years, I decided to look for the necessary papers relating to the deposit in order to make business out of it as the deposit was made in my branch. Now that all papers are ready, I am asking for your assistant to release the money to you as his relation/next of kin for safekeeping and subsequent disbursement. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one worried and apprehensive but I am assuring you not to worry, as all will be well at the end of this endeavor. Arrangements have been perfected for a smooth operation.

You are being contacted because you share the same name with the deceased. Since nobody showed up for his money and I don't want it to go back into Federal Government account as unclaimed bill when the next audit is conducted. The banking law and guideline here stipulates that such money if remain unclaimed after, will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed effect. The request of a foreigner to act as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Nigerian cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. You are most qualified in this transaction as you share the same name with the deceased. I am ready to negotiate the mode of sharing with you. I will visit your country for the disbursement/investing of my share according to the percentages we agreed upon after the successful transfer of the money to your account.

I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100% hitch-free and that there is absolutely no risk at all in this as I have concluded the modalities for a smooth operation and my position guarantees its successful execution. All I require is your honest co-operation, a guarantee of your sincerity and capability to enable us conclude this deal. Due to the sensitive nature of this transaction, I advise that you maintain absolute confidentiality while it lasts.

Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition. Thank you very much for your time. Please, reply me through my private email address: d_davids101@yahoo.com Trusting to hear from you immediately,

Yours faithfully,
Best regards,
Mr. Daniel David

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