joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "James Wright" <jmwright45@msn.com>
Reply-To: jmwright44@netscape.net
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 01:26:00 +0000
Subject: Contacting You On Trust

Dear  Friend,

I am James Wright, a senior auditor of Alliance & Leicester Bank Plc
London and I have a confidential business suggestion for you; one of
our customers  and personal friend, late Mr. Jim Brent unfortunately
lost his life in the AF4590 German Concorde Plane crash on 25 July 2000
including his wife and two children and his wife's parents.

Late Mr. Jim is a foreigner and the manager of a investment company
here in London and he died since the year 2000. No other person knows
about this account in Alliance & Leicester Bank Plc or anything
concerning it. After further investigation it was also discovered that
Mr. Jim next of kin is his wife who died with him, hence the account
has no other beneficiary and my investigation proves to me as well that
his company does not know anything about this account and the amount
involved is Ten million Pounds.

I am contacting you to stand and act as the next of kin to Mr. Jim
with my assistance.On the conclusion of this deal, you will be given
40% of the total amount while 60% will be for me, and any expenses
which you and me may incur during the process of this transaction will
also be reconciled afterwards. Let me have your confidential telephone,
fax and mobile numbers for easier communication.

You know how confidential this is. Please I wish if you can keep it
intact.

Yours truly,

James Wright.

Anti-fraud resources: