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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: "FEMI RAYMOND" <br.femiraymond@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: confidence_chambers@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 04:28:24 +0000
Subject: YOUR MASSAGE

My Dear Friend

I know this proposal may come to you as a surprise considering the fact that
we have not had any formal acquaintance prior to this. But all the same, I
would like you for goodwill sake to give this an immediate consideration in
view of the fact that the security of my client and his possessions are
seriously at stake. Please allow me to state the background of the subject
matter to give you better understanding.
My name is Barrister Femi Raymond. I am the personal Lawyer to Bayelsa State
(in Nigeria) Governor DIEPREYE ALAMIEYESEIGHA, who was arrested at Heathrow
Airport recently on transit from Germany where he had gone for medical
check-up.
Following his arrest and search at his London home by a team of London
Police, a large amount of cash was found in his house. The Governor, whose
travel documents where seized by the police, was arraigned and granted bail
by a magistrate's court but was immediately re-arrested by the police
following further finds of undisclosed cash.
The Metropolitan police have since formally filed several counts of criminal
charges of Money Laundering in violation of Criminal Justice Act.
There were subsequent searches of the Governor’s houses in London to which
the Police are yet to disclose the more incriminating finds. It’s however
been confirmed that they include documents and large sums of cash which
constitute further incriminating evidence. In addition the police discovered
more prime properties belonging to the governor. Please see some of the
latest news link:

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-12-09-voa15.cfm
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/10122005/325/photo/file-photo-nigerian-governor-
diepreye-alamieyeseigha.html

On the home front the situation has also taken a negative direction for the
Governor. The current edition of the News Magazine is circulating
nationwide published detailed facts of how the officials of the Bayelsa
State Government and their cronies have looted the State Treasury with one
of the Governor's daughters, Mrs. Preye Joy Ereboh (Nee Alamieyeseigha).She
allegedly lodged N478 million (about US$4million) with a local Branch of
Guaranty Trust Bank in just three days.
The Governor's cousin, Chief Abel Ebifemowei is also allegedly used his
companies as fronts to stash hundreds of million of Naira, Dollars and
Pounds Sterling to local and foreign banks.
The Governor and his family had been on the watch-list of the Federal
Government of Nigeria under President Olusegun Obasanjo who set up a
committee to probe the activities of my client before he was arrested in
London.
To avoid more devastating discoveries of his financial wealth, the
Governor's wife came to my office and directed me to quickly seek for a
trustworthy partner in whose account US$49.5M (Forty-Nine Million, Five
Hundred Thousand United states Dollars) currently with Global Finance and
Trust Company will be transferred.
The urgency and crucial importance of this cannot be over-emphasized as the
Probe Committee set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria will be closing
in soon with pre-emptory powers. My Client who has governed the oil rich
Bayelsa State for the last seven years intends investing this fund in
building a Crude oil Refinery in the future and l hope you will be part of
this dream by assisting us with this fund transfer.
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through
and my Client will be very happy to reward you with 25% of the total sum. I
guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law.
I look forward to hearing from you by return email as soon as possible.
Thank you immensely for your kind attention.
Yours truly,

Femi Raymond.
Barrister at Law


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