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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 MATHEW OSAGIE" <hartwigs11@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:06:57 -0400
Subject: URGENT & CONFIDENTIAL PLEASE REPLY BACK ASAP


DEAR FRIEND,
HOW ARE YOU?

COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON, MY IS MR MATHEW OSAGIE,THE BRANCH
MANAGER OF ALLSTATES TRUST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC LAGOS STATE BRANCH. I AM
WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK (MR.THOMAS WALTER) WITH
ACCOUNT NUMBER ATS1022002-109 WHO PERISHED WITH HIS FAMILY IN AN AUTO
CRASH IN ABUJA EXPRESWAY,IN NIGERIA, ON THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER 1999.

SINCE THE DEMISE OF MR THOMAS WALTER,I PERSONALLY HAVE 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 USD 15,500M,FIFTEEN MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS.THIS HAS BEEN WITH OUR BANK HERE FOR A
VERY LONG TIME, WHICH HAS ACCUMULATED SOME INTEREST.

ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO USE YOUR AS THE
NEXT OF KIN,AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO PUT CLAIM AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO
THIS FUNDS AND THE BANKING ETHICS HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY
MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS,BECUASE AFTER SEVEN YEARS THE MONEY WILL BE CALLED
BACK TO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

I AM CONVINCED IN MY MIND THAT YOUR COULD BE USED AS THE NEXT OF
KIN TO THIS CLAIM SINCE I HAVE ALL THE DETAILS OF THE ACCOUNT
INFORMATION.THE REQUET OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS
OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A NIGERIAN
CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER.

I HAVE AGREED TO SHARE THIS MONEY WITH YOU IN THE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
OF 60% FOR /30% FOR YOU WHILE 10% WILL BE MAPED OUT FOR ANY EXPENSES
THAT COULD BE INCURE ON BOTH SIDE IN THE PROCESS OF THIS TRANSACTION. YOU
KEEP 30% WHILE I KEEP 60%,THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY, FOR
DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

THEREFORE TO ENDEAVOUR THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUNDS TO YOUR
ACCOUNT,YOU HAVE TO APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE
DESEASED INDICATING BY SENDING AN APPLICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY
WILL BE REMITTED.YOU ALSO HAVE TO FORWARD YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE AND
FAX NUMBER TO ME.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH
FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED
ARRANGEMENT AS BEEN PERFECTED FOR THE TRANSFER.THIS IS MY PRIVATE EMAIL
ADDRESS ( mathewosagie55@safe-mail.net ) DO NOT HESITATE TO REPLY ME THROUGH
THIS EMAIL ADDRESS ONLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
I WILL ADVISE THAT YOU ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT WILL CHANGE YOUR
LIFE FOREVER AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE NY CAUSE TO REGRET YOUR INVOLVEMENT.

KIND REGARDS,

MATHEW OSAGIE
BRANCH MANAGER OF ALL STATES TRUST BANK.
LAGOS-NIGERIA.


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