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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: "Tony Okay" <tonyokay126@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 09:51:33 +0000
Subject: From Barrister Tony Okay esq

Barrister Tony Okay
Prudential plc
Laurence Pountney Hill
London EC4R 0HH

ATTENTION:

I am Barrister Tony Okay, Attorney to Prudential plc
Laurence Pountney Hill, London.I have an urgent
and very profitable business proposition for you
that should be handled with extreme confidentiality.
On January 12,1997 a Consultant and contractor
with the British Water Corporation Mr. Kim Sangogk,
who happened to be my client made a numbered time Fixed Deposit for
twelve calendar months valued at US$12.2M(Twelve Million,
two Hundred thousand United States Dollars .

Upon maturity I sent a routine notification in
accordance with the legal policy to his forwarding
address but got no reply. After a month we sent a
reminder and finally we discovered from his
contract employers British Water Corporation
that the deceased died in the Korean Air
Flight {801}, which crashed in Guam, on August
6,1997.The incidence was on CNN
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list
On further investigation, we found out that he
died without making a Will and all attempts to
trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore
made further investigations and discovered that
the deceased did not declare any next of
kin or relations in all his official documents
including his Bank Deposit paperwork .So i decided
to conduct a random search on the internet just to locate
his next of kin ,but all to no avail.

This sum of US$12.2M has been carefully moved out
of his bank to a Financial and Security Company
for safekeeping.No one will ever come forward to claim it and
according to the Law of my country, at the
expiration of 7 years the money will revert to
the ownership of the British Government, if
nobody applies to claim the fund.I and an official of the bank
has decided to work this deal with you so be rest assured
as i have an insider in the bank who can assist an easy transfer
of the funds to your nominated account.
We decided to contact you to assist me receive his
money for safe keeping and investments on his
behalf as everything will be taken over by the
government as provided in section 129 sub
63(N), British Banking Edit of 1961.

This prompted us to contact you.We want to front
you as the next of kin of our late client thereby
making you the legal beneficiary of the sum of
$12.2 million U.S Dollars that is presently in a
Financial and Security Company .

I contacted you because it is against the civil
service code of ethics to own and operate foreign
accounts and your assistance would be needed to
claim the money in the Financial and Security
Company The transaction is 100% legal and totally free of
risks as all modalities has been perfected to
ensure the hitch free success of the
transaction.

I have also decided that you will generously be
entitled to 30% of the total amount. Upon my receipt
of your reply confirming your willingness to assist me
of this transaction, I will immediately arrange and
transfer all the rights of ownership of this
fund to your name to facilitate your easy
clearance and transfer of the complete funds to your
country.

You have nothing to worry about, as I will be there
to assist you in anyway necessary with all proper
documentation as he died leaving all his documents with me.

If you are interested, send all possible suggestions and interest
as soon as possible so that we can proceed ,also send your full
names ,occupation,contact address,telephone and fax numbers
Kindly respond to my personal and alternative email address :
barr_tonyoBarrister Tony Okay
Prudential plc
Laurence Pountney Hill
London EC4R 0HH

ATTENTION:

I am Barrister Tony Okay, Attorney to Prudential plc
Laurence Pountney Hill, London.I have an urgent
and very profitable business proposition for you
that should be handled with extreme confidentiality.
On January 12,1997 a Consultant and contractor
with the British Water Corporation Mr. Kim Sangogk,
who happened to be my client made a numbered time Fixed Deposit for
twelve calendar months valued at US$12.2M(Twelve Million,
two Hundred thousand United States Dollars .

Upon maturity I sent a routine notification in
accordance with the legal policy to his forwarding
address but got no reply. After a month we sent a
reminder and finally we discovered from his
contract employers British Water Corporation
that the deceased died in the Korean Air
Flight {801}, which crashed in Guam, on August
6,1997.The incidence was on CNN
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list
On further investigation, we found out that he
died without making a Will and all attempts to
trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore
made further investigations and discovered that
the deceased did not declare any next of
kin or relations in all his official documents
including his Bank Deposit paperwork .So i decided
to conduct a random search on the internet just to locate
his next of kin ,but all to no avail.

This sum of US$12.2M has been carefully moved out
of his bank to a Financial and Security Company
for safekeeping.No one will ever come forward to claim it and
according to the Law of my country, at the
expiration of 7 years the money will revert to
the ownership of the British Government, if
nobody applies to claim the fund.I and an official of the bank
has decided to work this deal with you so be rest assured
as i have an insider in the bank who can assist an easy transfer
of the funds to your nominated account.
We decided to contact you to assist me receive his
money for safe keeping and investments on his
behalf as everything will be taken over by the
government as provided in section 129 sub
63(N), British Banking Edit of 1961.

This prompted us to contact you.We want to front
you as the next of kin of our late client thereby
making you the legal beneficiary of the sum of
$12.2 million U.S Dollars that is presently in a
Financial and Security Company .

I contacted you because it is against the civil
service code of ethics to own and operate foreign
accounts and your assistance would be needed to
claim the money in the Financial and Security
Company The transaction is 100% legal and totally free of
risks as all modalities has been perfected to
ensure the hitch free success of the
transaction.

I have also decided that you will generously be
entitled to 30% of the total amount. Upon my receipt
of your reply confirming your willingness to assist me
of this transaction, I will immediately arrange and
transfer all the rights of ownership of this
fund to your name to facilitate your easy
clearance and transfer of the complete funds to your
country.

You have nothing to worry about, as I will be there
to assist you in anyway necessary with all proper
documentation as he died leaving all his documents with me.

If you are interested, send all possible suggestions and interest
as soon as possible so that we can proceed ,also send your full
names ,occupation,contact address,telephone and fax numbers
Kindly respond to my personal and alternative email address :
barr_tonyokay61@yahoo.co.uk

I await your response urgently.

Regards,

Barrister Tony Okay esq


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