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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: "ALLEN SMITH" <allen2smith1@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:48:32 +0100
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT


FROM THE DESK OF
BARRISTER ALLEN SMITH,
SMITH'S CHAMBERS
37 WEST MINISTER AVENU
LONDON
REPLY TO:allen2smith1@yahoo.co.uk
Dear Friend
My name is barrister Allen Smith ,and mr David Adams here in after
shall be referred to as my client. On October 5, 1999, my
client was involved in a train crash near Paddington Station, which is
less than a mile north of Notting Hill,he was a contractor to many oil
companies in africa before his death.This is one of Britain's worst train
crashes in fifty years.You can see the web page.
http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/testmember/100899/aw_100899_01.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/467919.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/10/99/london_train_crash/4655
03.stm
I have contacted you to assist me, in repatriating most
especially,the money left behind by my late client before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this deposit
is lodged,valued at 10 million dollars, which has issued me a notice to
provide theNext of kin to my late client, or have the account
confiscated.Since there is a government gazette/circular
mandating/authorizing banks to place on hold or freeze any account
containing huge sums of money that has been unserviceable for a
reasonable period of time.This is geared towards forestalling capital flight from
the economy.

My proposition to you, is to seek your consent to present you as the
Next of kin and beneficiary of my named client,so that
the proceeds of his account valued at 10 million dollars can be paid
to you,and then we can share the amount on a mutually agreed
percentage.35% will be for you,55% for me and 10% set aside for any
expenses during the course of this transaction.
All legal documents to back up your claim as the
deceased Next of Kin,will be provided.All I require is your honest
cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. This will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach of the law .If you are interested please do forward to this
office the following.

1 YOUR AGE
2 YOUR ADDRESS
3 PHONE AND FAX.

If this business proposition offends your moral
values,do accept my apology but if not, then contact me at once to
indicate your interest,By giving me your telephone number so that i can
contact you.You can reach me on my private
mail box(allen2smith1@yahoo.co.uk )
Best regards,
Barrister Allen Smith




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