joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "HENRY JONES" <henry4jones@msn.com>
Reply-To: henryjones11@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 23:51:28 +0000
Subject: CAN WE DO THIS TOGETHER DEAR.

HENRY JONES
METROPOLITAN BANK NIGERIA LTD
HEAD OFFICE 24, IDOWU TAYLOR STREET
P.M.B 73266
VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS-NIGERIA

DEAR,

I AM HENRY JONES. IN CHARGE OF BILLS AND FOREIGN
EXCHANGE REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF METROPOLITAN BANK NIGERIA LTD.
I AM WRITING YOU THIS LETTER TO ASK FOR YOUR
SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN UNCLAIMED SUM OF $24.5MILLION
(TWENTY FOUR MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT BELONGING
TO ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER, WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH WITH THE ENTIRE FAMILY IN
YEAR 2001.

SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH WE HAVE BEEN
EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY.
UNFORTUNATELY,NEITHER THE FAMILY NOR THE RELATION HAS
APPEARED TO CLAIM THIS MONEY. WE CANNOT RELEASE THIS
MONEY UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR
RELATION TO THE DECEASED.

OUR BANKING GUIDELINES INDICATED THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED
FOR APERIOD OF FOUR (4) YEARS, IT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO
THE METROPOLITAN BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND. AGAIN WITH THE
RECAPITALISATION POLICY FROM THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, WHICH ELAPSE
THIS DECEMBER 2005.

ANOTHER OFFICER AND I IN THE DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO
TRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE NEXT OF
KIN OR RELATION OF THE DECEASED FOR EASY COLLECTION
SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DONT WANT THIS
MONEY TO GO BACK INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS THE
UNCLAIMED DEBT.

IN FACT MY FRIEND AND I HAVE AGREED TO URGENTLY ARRANGE TO TRANSFER
OUT THIS MONEY THROUGH ANOTHER FOREIGN BENEFICIARY OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE YOU 40% OF THE TOTAL SUM. SO
PLEASE, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY SEND TO ME YOUR
TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO SEE THAT WE CONCLUDE THIS
TRANSACTION SUCCESSFULLY ON TIME. PLEASE IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED SEND ME AN IMMEDIATE MAIL SO THAT I CAN
EXPLAIN THE DETAILS TO YOU TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING
ABOUT THIS BUSINESS

WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT RESPONSE
REGARDS
HENRY JONES

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam