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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: "MR ANTONIO TROZZ" <williams_t01@msn.com>
Reply-To: antonio_f@uk2.net
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:31:05 +0000
Subject: INHERITANCE CLAIM

FROM MR ANTONIO FRANCESCO TROZZO
DBS BANK LTD
65 ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD
LONDON, EC4M 8AB, UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: + 447 02407 3238
EMAIL:antonio_f001@yahoo.co.uk

GOOD DAY

PLEASE LET ME INTRODUCE MY SELF TO YOU AS MR ANTONIO FRANCESCO TROZZO, A
BRITISH BORN JAMAICAN, I WORK WITH DBS BANK LONDON, WHERE I MANAGE PRIVATE
CLIENTS ACCOUNTS, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE OF THIS DUTY
FOR 12 YEARS NOW.MY MOTIVE FOR WRITING THIS MAIL TO YOU IS TO IN FORM YOU OF
AN ACCOUNT BELONGING TO MR.ALEXANDER SCHMITZ. A GERMAN CITIZEN AND AN OIL
MERCHANT.

WHO HAS BEEN MY CLIENT FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE BEEN WITH DBS, HIS ACCOUNT
HOLDS THE SUM OF £12.3 MILLION POUNDS THE TRUTH NOW IS THAT MR.ALEXANDER
SCHMITZ. IS LATE, AND I HAVE MONITORED HIS ACCOUNT WITH US FOR 4YEARS NOW,
AND TO MY GREATEST SURPRISE, NO ONE HAS COME UP FOR A CLAIM TILL DATE. FROM
MY NVESTIGATIONS AND CONFIRMATION, MY CLIENT LEFT HIS NEXT OF KIN COLUMN
BLANK, AND HAD A SINGLE ON ENTRY VISA INTO THE UK , WHICH IS WHY NO ONE HAS
KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEPOSIT EXCEPT US AT DBS BANK. HENCE THE NEED TO GET IN
TOUCH WITH YOU AS ONE WHO I CAN PRESENT AS A NEXT OF KIN TO ASSIST IN
REPATRIATING THE MONEY LEFT BEHIND BY MY LATE CLIENT BEFORE THEY GET
CONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNPLAYABLE, AS I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING
A RELATIVE FOR OVER 3 YEARS NOW. PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT THE PROCEEDS OF
THIS DEPOSIT VALUED AT £12.3 MILLION POUNDS. WILL BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: 80%
FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND ME, 20% TO YOU. I HAVE ALL NECESSARY LEGAL DOCUMENTS
THAT CAN BE USED TO BACKUP ANY CLAIM WE MAY MAKE. ALL I REQUIRE IS YOUR
HONEST COOPERATION TO ENABLE THIS DEAL GO THROUGH. I GUARANTEE THAT THIS
WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THATWILL PROTECT YOU FROM
ANY BREACH OF THE LAW, AS THE FUNDS DID NOT ORIGINATEFROM DRUG MONEY OR
TERRORISM, BUT THROUGH INHERITANCE.

I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH SOME OF THE BANKS OFFICIAL AND WE HAVE ALL
AGREED TO FIND A RELIABLE PARTNER TO HAVE THIS DEAL WITH, SO THAT THE FUNDS
CAN BE RELEASED TO YOU IN YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT FOR SHEARING AFTER DUE
PROCESSES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED. PLEASE LET ME HAVE YOUR TELEPHONE AND FAX
NUMBERS TO ENABLE US DISCUSS FURTHER ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION.

BEST REGARDS.

MR ANTONIO FRANCESCO TROZZO


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