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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: "Steven Percival" <steven_p7@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: steven_pcvs@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 09:50:49 +0000
Subject: UNCLAIMED DEPOSIT (Strictly Confidential)

Mr. Steven Percival
Former Vice President, Custody and Clearing
HSBC Bank plc
8 Canada Square, Level 24
London E14 5HQ
Direct Line: +44 702 402 6942
Direct Fax: +44 207 681 1190

Dear Partner,

Through some discreet search from my local chambers of commerce, you were
revealed as being quite astute in Entrepreneurship. One has no doubt in
your ability to handle an international business of considerable TRUST,
which may form the bedrock of an extensive business partnership in the
future.

PROPOSITION:

Presently in my bank here in the United Kingdom we have an estate,which has
remained unclaimed since 1999. And the estate will be converted to UNCLAIMED
DEPOSIT and therefore forfeited if nobody comes forward to lay claim to
the deposit before the end of this financial quarter, as is the practice
and also indicated in the EU banking guidelines.It may interest you to know
that we have
secured from the probate registry of the High Court an ORDER OF MANDAMUS to
locate and transfer the rights and privileges of the Estate to any of the
account's beneficiaries. This is why I am contacting you. This estate
Initial Investment Capital, which is the "PRINCIPAL" is 15.5m US Dollars.
This investment has an annual INTEREST of 10% accumulating to date. In other
words, the liquidation of this investment shall bring the total inheritable
amount to a little above 30m US Dollars as shall be computed by the Bank
upon the liquidation.

We now seek your understanding to have you stand as the Beneficiary/Next of
Kin to the deceased. Do not be bothered as we will carefully and legally
work out all necessary documents in your favor as the new
Beneficiary/Next-of-Kin to the Estate.

I want to count on you as a person of respect and honest disposition and
hope that you will handle this transaction with all maturity and
confidentiality it deserves.

In order to get the process started, I would require that you contact me
immediately this email or Telephone/Fax numbers as given above with all
necessary contact information of yourself.

I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint
me.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Steven Percival


NOTE: If however, you are not disposed to assist, kindly delete/destroy this
email in view of the confidentiality of the proposed transaction and
interest of personalities involved.

_________________________________________________________________
Use your PC to make calls at very low rates
https://voiceoam.pcs.v2s.live.com/partnerredirect.aspx


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