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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: "Robert Brown" <barrrobertbrown02@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: barrrobert_brown22@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 02:26:40 -0900
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED.

ROBERT BROWN LAW FIRM
ADDRESS:24 TETLOW ROAD,
IMO STATE.
NIGERIA.



MY NAME IS BARR.ROBERT BROWN I AM THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO MR. WILLIAMS ,
WHO IS A NATIONAL OF YOUR COUNTRY, AND WORKED WITH SHELL COMPANY
PORT-HARCOURT. ON 21ST OF OCTOBER 2002, MY BOSS, HIS WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN
WERE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ALONG THE KINGSWAY ROAD. ALL OCCUPANTS OF
THE VEHICLE UNFORTUNATELY LOST THEIR LIVES.IT MIGHT INTEREST YOU TO NOTE
THAT BEFORE THIS UGLY INCIDENT, MY BOSS HAS SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY HE
DEPOSITED IN A FINANCIAL FIRM HERE IN NIGERIA AND WHICH HAS NOT BEEN CLAIMED
BY ANY ONE SINCE AFTER HIS DEMISE.

SINCE THEN I HAVE MADE SEVERAL EFFORTS TO LOCATE ANY OF MY BOSS'S EXTENDED
RELATIVES, THIS HAS PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER THESE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL
ATTEMPTS, I DECIDED TO TRACE HIS RELATIVES THROUGH AN INTERNATIONAL CHAMBERS
OF COMMERCE DIRECTORY HERE BY A FRIEND’S ADVICE, TO RELOCATE ANY MEMBER OF
HIS FAMILY TO ASSIST IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY AND PROPERTY LEFT BEHIND BY
MY BOSS BEFORE THEY GET CONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE
FINANCIAL FIRM, WHERE THIS FUND IS DEPOSITED/LODGED.

PARTICULARLY, THE FINANCIAL FIRM WHERE THE DECEASED HAD A DEPOSIT VALUE AT $
29 MILLION DOLLARS. THE FINANCIAL FIRM HAS ISSUED ME A NOTICE TO PROVIDE THE
NEXT OF KIN THAT WILL COME AND CLAIM THIS FUND IN ANY OF THEIR PAYMENT
CENTERS IN EUROPE OR AMERICA/AFRICA OR ALTERNATIVELY HAVE IT CONFISCATED
WITHIN THE NEXT THREE OFFICIAL WORKING MONTHS.

SINCE I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING THE RELATIVES FOR OVER 13 MONTHS
NOW I SEEK YOUR CONSENT TO PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OF MY DECEASED
BOSS SINCE BOTH OF YOU SHARE SIMILAR NAMES TO ENABLE US TAKE OVER THE
PROCEEDS OF THIS DEPOSIT VALUE AT $29 MILLION DOLLARS BE PAID TO YOU IN
PERSON IN EUROPE OR ANY OTHER PLACE YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM THE LISTED CENTRE
WHERE THE PAYMENT COULD BE EFFECTED FROM AND THEN YOU AND I WILL SHARE THE
MONEY.

I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU ARE IN ANYWAY RELATED TO HIM AS YOUR NAMES ARE SIMILAR
TO HIS, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT IN ANYWAY RELATED TO HIM, I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU
WILL BE INTERESTED TO DO THE BUSINESS WITH ME. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS
PROPOSAL, I WILL WANT US TO HAVE A MEETING TO ENABLE US AGREE ON THE
MODALITIES TO DO THE BUSINESS AND THE SHARING RATIO AND THE METHOD TO CARRY
OUT THE OPERATION.

ABOVE ALL THE MEETING WILL AFFORD US THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW OURSELVES AND
TO KNOW THE ROLES TO BE PLAYED BY ANY OF US! . I HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY
LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT CAN BE USED TO BACK UP THIS CLAIM WE ARE MAKING. ALL I
REQUIRE IS YOUR HONEST COOPERATION TO ENABLE US SEEING THIS DEAL THROUGH.
I GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT
WILL PROTECT YOU AND I FROM ANY BREACH OF LAW. YOU HAVE TO ASSURE ME OF YOUR
HONESTY AND SINCERITY THAT YOU WILL NOT SIT ON THE FUND WHEN IT IS FINALLY
CLAIMED.

TO ENABLE US FORGE AHEAD IMMEDIATELY, I NEED YOUR MOST URGENT RESPONSE.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP THIS BUSINESS VERY SECRET/CONFIDENTIAL EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT
INTERESTED; PLEASE DO NOT MAKE IT PUBLIC TO AVOID SCANDAL.

BEST REGARDS.
ROBERT BROWN



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