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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: "Philip Onyekwere" <philonyekwere46@terra.com.mx>
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 05:43:54 -0600
Subject: Very Urgent


Mr.Philip Onyekwere
First Inland Bank Plc,
Victoria Island,
Lagos - Nigeria.

Dear Friend,

I am Mr.Philip Onyekwere, from First Inland Bank Plc , Lagos Branch.I got your contact while searching for a reliable someone to contact for this
transaction.

An America Oil consultant/ contractor with the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation,Mr.Ronald Lake made a numbered time (fixed) deposit for twelve
calendar months, valued at US$15,500,000.00 (Fifteen Million, Five Hundred
Thousand Dollars)in my branch.

Upon maturity I sent a rountine notification to his forwarded address but
got no reply.After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered
from his contract employers, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
that Mr.Ronald Lake, of Corte Madera, California unfortunately lost his life
in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January
31st 2000, including his wife Joyce Lake
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

Therefore, on further investigation, I found out that he died without making
a WILL, and attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore
made further investigation and discovered that Mr.Ronald Lake did not
declareany next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including
his bank deposit paperwork in my bank. This sum of US$15,500,000.00 is
still in my bank and the interest is being rolled over with the pricipal
sum at the end of each year. No one has ever come forward to claim it.

According to Nigerian law, at the expiration of(five) years, the money will
revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government if nobody applies to
claim the fund.
Consequently,my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as
the "next of kin" to Mr.Ronald Lake. Please on your acceptance to workout
this transaction,do let me know so that I will give you the contact
information of the attorney for you to contact him.

There is no risk at all, the paperwork for this transaction will be done by
an attorney and my position guarantees the successful execution of this
transaction. If you are interested and know that you will not sit on this
money after its successful transfer to you, please reply immediately and
upon your response,I shall provide you with more details on what to do.
Please observe utmost confidentiality and be rest assured that this
transaction would be most profitable for both of us.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Thanks and regards,

Mr.Philip Onyekwere.

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