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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: "Okofor David" <okofordavid15@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: barristerokofor@yahoo.co.in
Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2006 11:13:23 +0000
Subject: URGENT REPLY!!

FROM: Barrister Okafor David
TEL: +234-802-665-5815

I WANT YOU TO STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN I am Barrister Okafor David
and also the Personal Attorney to Mr. MORRIS THOMPSON a national of your
country, one of the major contractor to shell Development company in
Nigeria. Few years ago my client with his entire family in the plane crash
on February 4th, 2000 board Alaska Airlines Flight 261. alonside other 87
passengers . Please view the website below for verification.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
This was sad news to the hearing of any human being and since then I have
made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended
relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet,
to locate any member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you. I
have contacted you on trust to assist me in receiving the money left behind
by my client before the bank he has an account with get the money
confiscated or declared his money as unclaimed fund following the bank
policy.

Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued at about
20.5 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin of my
client or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working
days. Since i have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over
2 years now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the
deceased so that the transfer of this money valued at $20.5 million dollars
can be paid to you as his next of kin for our mutual benefit. The sharing
percentage is as follow if only you will be faithful and honest to assist
me, 30% for your assistance as next of kin, 65% to me and remaining 5%
should be for expenses or tax as your government may require. All necessary
legal documents that will back up your claim of this money will be secured
by an attorney on your behalf. All I require is your honest co-operation to
enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee you that this business will
be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach of the law. Please get in touch with me to enable us discuss
further steps to follow.
Barrister Okafor David.


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