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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: "Steven Peters" <stenspeters@netscape.net>
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 20:29:45 +0600
Subject: Business!!!

STANDARD BANK LONDON
5TH FLOOR CANNON BRIDGE HOUSE
25 DOWGATE HILL LONDON
EC4R 2SB UNITED KINDOM.

GOOD DAY TO YOU,

MY NAME IS MR. STEVEN PETERS WORKING WITH THE MINING FINANCE DEPT.
WITH STANDARD BANK LONDON.

WE HAD A FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DEPOSITED A HUGE SUM OFMONEY WITH OUR BANK,
WHO LATER DIED AS A RESULT OF PLANE CRASH IN 1999. BEFORE HIS DEATH, HE
TRANSFERED THE SUM OF US$10.5M (TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
SATES DOLLARS) TO A BANK IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND.

SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN
INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS
COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF US$10.5M (TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WHICH HAS BEEN WITH THE BANK IN HOLLANDFOR A VERY
LONG TIME. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOSE NAME SHALL BE USED AS
THE NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY`S FOREIGN TRADE
MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED BY PROVIDENCE THAT YOU COULD BE USED AS THE
NEXT OF KIN.THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS
IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND YOU SHARE
THE SAME SURNAME AND SOMEBODY IN LONDON CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO
OUR LATE CUSTOMER.

I AGREED THAT US$3 MILLION OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN
PARTNER FOR PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT, WHILE THE REST WILL BE FOR ME, THEREAFTER,
I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT
AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

THEREFORE, TO FACILITATE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR
ACCOUNT AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS A RELATION TO THE
DECEASED INDICATING YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE
NUMBER,AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY
WILL BE REMITTED.UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR
E-MAIL THENEXT STEP TO TAKE.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH-FREEAND
THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS
BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER.
YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL OR CALL ME ON MY
NUMBER +44--703184031

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YOUR RESPECTFULLY,
Mr.STEVEN PETERS
+44-703184031
N:B all response should be mailed to:stenpeters@EMAILACCOUNT.COM




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