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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: "Attorney Frank Lewis Tokam" <franklewisconsultant@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 07 May 2006 16:52:39 +0200
Subject: Re Elzinga

FROM: ATTORNEY FRANK LEWIS TOKAM
TEL: +27-73-205 1100
FAX: +27-83-753-4781
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.



PROPOSAL FOR BUSINESS OF MUTUAL BENEFIT

ATTN: DIRECTOR/CEO

It is my privilege to capture your names from the internet. My name is
Attorney FRANK LEWIS a legal practitioner and the personal Attorney to late
Mr. Adams Elzinga, a foreign nationality of your country who died along with
his wife and his two sons in a ghastly motor accident along Beyer’s Nuede/N1
express in August 13, 2004 .All the occupants in the vehicle lost their
lives.

I am convinced that it was the grace of God that made me to locate you. My
client was a successful and an accomplished family man, who made enough
fortune before his untimely death. Since then I had made several inquiries
through Embassy to locate any of my clients extended relative but this
exercise has proved unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I
Decided to trace his relatives through the Internet, to locate any member of
his family not much progress was recorded.

My late client was an influential wealthy businessman, Gold magnet
(merchant) here in South Africa and he left behind a deposit of Twelve
Million, Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollar ($12,200,000.00USD) in
his domiciliary bank account in a commercial bank here in South Africa.
After the death of my client his bankers contacted me,as his Attorney to
provide his next of kin who should inherit his fortune.The board of
directors of his bank adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his
next of kin for the payment of this money within 28 working days or forfeit
the money to the bank as an abandoned property. The bankers had planned to
invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after
the expiration of the period given to me.

Despairing at the point of exhaustiveness, fortunately, I came across
your name, to my utmost amazement , you are nationals of the same country.
Convinced that you may be linked with my late client or that you might
provide clue to my search, I therefore, decided to contact you with these
facts before me because of the situation now. By virtue of my closeness to
the deceased and his immediate family, I am very much aware of my client
financial standing and the bank account he operates. I have reasoned very
professionally and I feel it will be legally proper to present you as the
next of kin of my deceased client, so that you can be paid the funds left in
his bank account, hence I contacted you.

I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin to the Deceased since
you are at an advantage as a foreigner too, so that the proceeds of this
Bank Account valued at $12.2 Million Dollars can be paid to you. We shall
both share the funds. 40% to me and 55% to you, while 5% should be for
Expenses or Tax as your Government may require, I shall assemble all the
necessary Legal Documents that will be used to back up our claim.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of law. Please get in touch with me by
email or on above telephone to enable us discuss further.

Best Regards

Attorney Frank Lewis Tokam (Esq.)

_________________________________________________________________
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