joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Sean Glen" <sean_glen@terra.com.mx>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 16:32:12 -0600
Subject: Attention:Friend


PRIVATE AND URGENT
From: BANK OF SCOTLAND,
LONDON BRANCH.
Attention:Friend,
PRIVATE AND URGENT.
Please do not be offended if I have invaded your privacy. I am Mr.Sean GLEN, and I am contacting you on business transfer of a large sum of money from a deceased account. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.
PROPOSITION.
I was the account officer to Mr Salah Adam (deceased) one of our foreign customers. While he banked with us, we oversaw his accounts and other official obligations as my office demanded being his accounts officer. Unfortunately, he died together with his entire family in the plane crash of 31 October, 1999 on board the Egyptian Airline 990 alongside other passengers.
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. We cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated according to the law of your country.Most likely, if there are next of kin, they all get an equal share. If there are(mysteriously) no next of kin (claiming or otherwise), the money goes to the state.
Having made a very franatic and exhaustive search for any family member that would lay claim to this fund, I decided to take my chance with you. I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased as I have all documentations including his certified Death Certificate that will facilitate your stand as next of kin to him as he had a closing balance of £5,500,000.00 (five million, five hundred thousand pounds sterling) here in our bank in London. I also have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any member of deceased family to become beneficiary of this fund.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following, vial reply to my private E-mail: seanglen77@myway.com
1. Beneficiary name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers
These requirements will enable me make some internal re-adjustments and file your name in form A2ag and other vital forms as next of kin which before now was left blank by the deceased upon opening of the account six years ago. Upon your reply, I will advice the way forward. I must assure you that if you are serious and follow my lead religiously, then this funds will be released to you within a seven-working-day period.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail.
Please reply to my private E-mail:seanglen77@myway.com
Regards,
Mr. Sean Glen
Account officer.

Anti-fraud resources: