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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: JOHN C C CHAN <CHANJOHNCC@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:15:04 +0100
Subject: ASSISTANCE NEEDED



FROM:MR.JOHN C C CHAN
HANG SENG BANK LTD,
HONG KONG.
Email:jchan@spinfinder.com
Let me start by introducing myself. I am Mr. John C C Chan Chief Executive Officer of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd.
Before the U.S and Iraqi war, our client a business man made a numbered fixed deposit of (167,211,702.56 HKD) for 18 calendar months, this is valued to Twenty One million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only in my branch. Upon maturity several notice was sent to him,even during the war, three years ago (2003). Again after the war another notification was sent
and still no response came from him. We later found out that Hamadi Hashem and his family had been killed during the war in bomb blast that hit their home at Mukaradeeb where his personal oil well was.
http://www.iraqmemorialwall.org/iraqicasualties.html
http://www.iraqbodycount.net/names.htm
After further investigation it was also discovered that Hamadi Hashem did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last time he was at my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So,Twenty One million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars is still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that according to the laws of my country at the
expiration of four years six months the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds.
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Hamadi Hashem so that you will be able to receive his funds for our mutual benefit.Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue,Should you be interested please send me your full names and current residential address and I will prefer you to reach me on the email address below.
E-mail:jchan@spinfinder.com.And finally after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation.Note that this business would follow all the international laws of banking and an attorney would handle all the legal Documentations to ensure that the funds are claimed legally so that we would enjoy our funds in peace when it is finally transferred from my country.
Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.
Kind Regards
Mr. John Chan

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