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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: "Mr. Alex Daniel" <alexzn@totonline.net>
Reply-To: alexzn@gawab.com
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 01:42:03 -0700
Subject: Message from Mr. Alex


FROM: MR. ALEX DANIEL
JOHANNESBURG,
SOUTH AFRICA.
Tel: +27-73-0199-0-09.
Email: alexzn@gawab.com


ATTN: DIRECTOR/CEO.

In my quest for a reliable and trusted partner for a highly important and lucrative venture cum investment, I came across your contact as a reliable partner for this venture. I am Mr. Alex Daniel, In charge of Credit and Foreign bills of my Bank, AMALGAMATED BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (ABSA).

I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank whose name is Mr. Andreas Schranner a citizen of Germany who perished in a plane crash [Concorde Air Flight AF4590] with the whole passengers aboard on 31 July2000. And for your perusal you can view this web site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Since the demise of this our customer, I personally has 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$25.5M (Twenty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which has been with my branch for a very long time. On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the Next of Kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin. And the banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than eight years, because the money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed after this period.

In view of this, I got your contact through a trade journal. And I have agreed to give you 30% of the total if you can handle this transaction in ultimate sincerity and secrecy. Upon the receipt of your response, I will send you by fax or e-mail the application, bank's fax number and the next step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be finalized within five working days, after you apply to the bank as a relation to the deceased.

Kindly send me an e-mail signifying your decision including your private Tel/Fax numbers for quicker communication on received of this letter.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Alex Daniel.







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