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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: "collins markwell" <collins_markwell2007@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 20:45:49 -0700
Subject: URGENT INHERITANCE CLAIM

FROM THE DESK OF MR.COLLINS MARKWELL.
REPLY ONLY TO:collins.markwell@hotmail.ro

URGENT INHERITANCE CLAIM

GOOD DAY,

I KNOW THIS PROPOSAL WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE EXPECIALLY
WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW THE WRITER.
FIRSTLY, LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF TO YOU. I AM
MR.COLLINS
MARKWELL, THE HEAD OF TELEX DEPARTMENT OF MY BANK, WHERE I AM
PRESENTLY
WORKING. I GOT YOUR CONTACT DURING MY PRIVATE SEARCH AT THE
INFORMATION
CENTRE HERE IN MY COUNTRY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TRADE AND INDUSTRY
AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BE VERY HONEST, TRUSTWORTHY,
COMMITTED AND CAPABLE OF ASSISTING IN THIS BUSINESS VENTURE
CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS TRANSACTION WHICH COULD MAKE
ANYONE APPREHENSIVE BECAUSE OF THE HUGE AMOUNT INVOLVED, THE SOURCE
OF THIS FUNDS AND WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO.

A FOREIGNER, MR. SAADELDIN EL ALFY AHMED, AN OIL
MERCHANT/CONTRACTOR , HERE
WHO WAS A VICTIM OF AN EGYPT AIRLINE FLIGHT 990 PLANE CRASH
WHICH CRASHED
INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ON OCTOBER 31, 1999. PLEASE CHECK THE
BELOW WEBLINK FOR A LIST OF THE VICTIMS WHO WERE ON BOARD THE
CRASHED AIRPLANE FOR YOUR CONFIRMATION.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1999, MR. SAADELDIN EL ALFY AHMED, MADE A
NUMBERED TIME
(FIXED) DEPOSIT WITH OUR BANK AND HAS A CLOSING BALANCE AS AT
JULY, 2000
WORTH US$45MILLION (FORTY FIVE MILLION U.S DOLLARS). UPON MATURITY,
WE SENT
A ROUTINE NOTIFICATION TO HIS FORWARDING ADDRESS BUT GOT NO
RESPONSE, AFTER A MONTH, WE SENT A REMINDER AND WAS FINALLY
INFORMED BY HIS CONTRACT EMPLOYERS THAT MR. SAADELDIN EL ALFY
AHMED WAS AMONG THE VICTIMS OF THE CRASHED EGYPT AIRLINE OF
OCTOBER 31, 1991. ALL ATTEMPTS TO TRACE ANY OF HIS RELATIVES ALSO
PROVED FRUITLESS. WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE LATE MR. SAADELDIN
EL ALFY AHMED DID NOT DECLARE ANY NEXT OF KIN IN ALL HIS
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS WITH US INCLUDING HIS BANK DEPOSIT PAPERS. THE
TOTAL SUM, US$45MILLION (FORTY FIVE MILLION U.S DOLLARS) IS STILL
IN MY BANK AND THE INTEREST IS BEING ROLLED OVER WITH THE
PRINCIPAL SUM AT THE END OF EACH
YEAR. NO ONE HAS EVER COME FORWARD TO CLAIM IT.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL BANKING LAWS AND CONSTITUTION, THE
MONEY WILL RETURNED TO THE OUR BANK'S TREASURY AS OUR BANK'S
PROPERTY AFTER FIVE YEARS
IF NOBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO CLAIM THE FUNDS.
NOW THE
MANAGEMENT OF THE BANK UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR CHAIRMAN AND
THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS ARE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNDS TO BE DECLARED
UNCLAIMED
SINCE ALL EFFORTS HAS BEEN MADE BY MY BANK TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH THE MR.
SAADELDIN EL ALFY AHMED'S FAMILY OR RELATIVE BUT TO NO SUCCESS.

NOW THE BANK EXPECTS A NEXT-OF-KIN TO CLAIM IT AS THE BENEFICIARY
OF THE
FUNDS. IT IS BASED ON THIS THAT I HAVE CONTACTED YOU TO STAND
IN AS THE
NEXT-OF-KIN OF LATE MR. SAADELDIN EL ALFY AHMED SO THAT THE FUNDS
WILL BE
RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR ANY ACCOUNT THAT YOU MAY PROVIDE AS
THE
BENEFICIARY AND THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED. I SHALL GUIDE YOU
ON HOW WESHALL CLAIM THE FUNDS FOR OURSELVES (YOU AND I). ALL
DOCUMENTS AND PROOF TO ENABLE YOU GET THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN
CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AS WE HAVE SECURED FROM THE DIFFERENT OFFICES
CONCERNED FOR THE SMOOTH TRANSFER OF THE FUND TO YOUR NOMINATED
ACCOUNT. YOU WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH 30% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS AS
THE ACCOUNT OWNER, 65% WILL BE FOR ME WHILE 5% WILL BE SET
ASIDE TO OFFSET EXPENSES BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONAL.

IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU, PLEASE REACH ME THROUGH MY DIRECT
EMAIL
ADDRESS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ALSO SEND ME YOUR CONTACT
TELEPHONE AND FAXNUMBER INCLUDING YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER FOR QUICK
AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE, ALL THE BEST AND GOD BLESS YOU.
PLEASE EMAIL
ME ONLY THROUGH THIS MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS:
collins.markwell@hotmail.ro
FOR SECURITY REASONS.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR COLLINS MARKWELL.



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