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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: "Desmond Johnson" <desmond.johnson@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: desmondjohnsonoo3@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2007 19:07:06 +0100
Subject: Attn: Serious & Urgent Proposal





STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL & URGENT



My good friend,


I approach you today with due respect and honor. And crave your sincere
indulgence and patience to go through this letter. First, I must apologize
to you for infringing on your privacy and solicit your confidence and
understanding as we have not truly known or met each other before.

I am Desmond Johnson, a Canadian Assistant legal attaché at the CANADIAN
HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON. I reliably got your contact through personal
enquiry and as a matter of urgency. Frankly, I took my time before
contacting you because of the confidential nature of this letter as well as
my sensitive position in office. Though, I know that a proposal like this
will make anyone apprehensive and worried. This is by virtue of its
unfamiliar and sudden approach.
But after going through your profile, I could no longer doubt your
credibility and capability as regards this task. This is why I am convinced
and willing to seek your assistance and total cooperation on this golden
opportunity.
However, I write in respect of a letter of enquiry we received from Security
Company. The letter requested contact information of the closest surviving
relative of one MICHAEL SEKHON. According to the letter Mr. SEKHON was a
Canadian and client of the security company who died in a local plane crash.
Based on the strength of the report, late SEKHON was a real estate investor
and had deposited the sum of US$19.500 Million with the security company for
investment in the capital (stock) market before his death three years ago.

The letter further stated that all meaningful efforts made to get response
from his family through his agent (lawyer) for the completion of the
transaction was a failure. After various unsuccessful attempts to reach the
late investor's family through the London -Canadian Chambers of Commerce,
the company decided to contact the Canadian High Commission on this regard.
Since then, my female colleague Ms. Anita Shakelford, head of immigrant’s
record department had been working with our home office to contact the late
investor's family at the request of Security Company. Unfortunately, the
home office was unable to contact anyone related to the late investor.
Confirming our record, the deceased was believed to have spent greater part
of his life outside Canada. At this point, it became clear that the deceased
origin status could not be ascertained. Since we could not locate the
deceased relatives and considering the prevailing circumstance, we
deliberately decided to delay our reply letter of findings to the security
company to enable us search for a neutral and reliable person for a possible
replacement.

This is why I decided to contact you on behalf of my female colleague
because of the deceased's unknown origin status to enable us claim this free
fund. I now seek your permission to have you stand as the next of kin to the
late investor so that the fund could be claimed by you being the late
beneficiary’s next of kin. The Security Company had stated in the letter
conditions for the release of the fund should the next of kin decides not to
complete the investment plans with them amongst which is that the next of
kin must be duly certified by the High Commission. And a letter to that
effect must be tendered.
Interestingly, all documented information of the late investor’s
transactions is available to us in strict confidence.

Do send your personal informations so that I can forward it to the security
company that you are the right next of kin to this fund.

FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
DATE OF BIRTH:
NATIONALITY:
OCCUPATION:
PHONE/FAX NUMBER:

To this end, we once more appeal for your willingness and co-operation. Note
that this proposal is entirely risk free and without hitch. Upon completion
of this assignment, we will be happy to offer you 40% of this total sum as
compensation for your humanitarian assistance. You would also be informed of
further details based on your response. If this proposal is acceptable by
you, we appeal that you don’t make undue advantage of the trust we have
bestowed on you. This letter is strictly for your consumption alone as we
wait patiently to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
Desmond Johnson.

_________________________________________________________________
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