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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: Williams Ghani <gh9.wills@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <ghawls@yahoo.es>
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 17:20:33 +0100
Subject: SPECIAL INFORMATION











FROM WILLIAMS GHANITHE DISTRICT SECRETARY,.............NON-INSPECTIONSECURITY COMPANY.



I am Sir Williams Ghani, a district secretary of the famous security firm that I will reveal to you later.



A man of 64 as contains in his identification profile, whose surname and place of origin are synonymous with yours has been our client's since 30th October, 1997, when he deposited a certain box that weighs 45 kg in our custody. On 15th November, 2005 he deposited another that weighs 20 kg and he always paid all his dues / their charges until last year 2006. Through me, my firm had written him three times with the post box, house address and even email address that he provided when the deposits were made but there was no response or rather reply. We then wrote his lawyer who responded that he underwent an off business holiday with his household and will soon return.



Fort night ago, this lawyer, who is my intimate friend and was my school mate came to my home and confided in me the reality of his client's where about which is that the family were involved in a plane crash on 19th december, 2005 with Chalk's Ocean Airways. He told me that his enquiries for his client's relatives through the embassy was not productive and that was the far he chooses to go in finding the relations of his late client. He said frankly that his interest is very much in this money and then disclosed to me that his client was a secret diamond dealer and that the boxes which he deposited in our firm and claimed that they contain his and his family's important academic acquisitions (books, certificates....etc) are in reality the substantial amount of money(pounds sterling) that I will divulge to you after the indication of your interest.



As we have strove within our capability attempting to find and contact any relative of the deceased family but all efforts still lie barren, my friend and I have resolved to contact any willing, business minded person in your country, who will understand what is there to gain and thus indicate interest in either helping us get the family that we are looking for or help us realize the claim of this money that is about to be confiscated. Listen! These boxes lie with the dilemma of paying off few service debt and being confiscated for inadequate paying of service charges. Because of these reasons we have considered it wise and of mutual benefit to contact you after some careful search in the Internet in view to present you as the sole heir to the accumulated wealth of our deceased client and by that you are equally empowered to retrieve the deposited boxes( millions of pounds sterling). These will make you some millions of pounds richer as the sharing ratio will be discussed after your interest has been made known.



Note: Some more confidential information like Names, Amounts/ Sum and many others were with-held and will be divulged only after the reception and scrutiny of your positive response. This deal demands utmost sincerity and therefore, before replying this mail answer these three all important questions within yourself;1] Are you sincerely interested in benefiting from this deal?2] Are you trust worthy? and lastly;3] Are you financially capable of seeing this deal through? If your answers to those questions are in affirmatives( yes) then call yourself the lucky one. This transaction is risk-free for all necessary legal documents are with the lawyer and you will be provided with all legal requirements to back up the claim. These mean that there will be no infringement of laws, ethics or orders in the execution of this deal because legitimate arrangements have been made as will be reveal to you later. Lastly this letter is of innermost confidentiality and therefore should be with-held from non-members of your family. I look forward to hearing from you.



Good Luck!Williams GhaniFor details/compliance click on reply to contact me.


FROM WILLIAMS GHANITHE DISTRICT SECRETARY,.............NON-INSPECTIONSECURITY COMPANY.



I am Sir Williams Ghani, a district secretary of a famous security firm that i will reveal to you later.



A man of 64 as contains in his identification profile, whose surname and place of origin are same with yours and has been our client's since 30th October, 1997 when he deposited a certain box that weighs 45 kg in our custody. On 15th November, 2005 he deposited another that weighs 20 kg and he always paid all his dues / their charges until last year 2006. Through me, my firm had written him three times with the post box, house address and even email address that he provided when the deposits were made but there was no response or rather reply. We then wrote his lawyer who responded that he underwent an off business holiday with his household and will soon return.



Fort night ago, this lawyer, who is my intimate friend and was my school mate came to my home and confided in me the reality of his client's where about which is that the family were involved in a plane crash on 19th december, 2005 with Chalk's Ocean Airways. He told me that his enquiries for his client's relatives through the embassy was not productive and that was the far he chooses to go in finding the relations of his late client. He said frankly that his interest is very much in this money and then disclosed to me that his client was a secret diamond dealer and that the boxes which he deposited in our firm and claimed that they contain his and his family's important academic acquisitions (books, certificates....etc) are in reality the substantial amount of money(pounds sterling) that I will divulge to you after the indication of your interest.



As we have strove within our capability attempting to find and contact any relative of the deceased family but all efforts still lie barren, my friend and I have resolved to contact any willing, business minded person in your country, who will understand what is there to gain and thus indicate interest in either helping us get the family that we are looking for or help us realize the claim of this money that is about to be confiscated. Listen! These boxes lie with the dilemma of paying off few service debt and being confiscated for inadequate paying of service charges. Because of these reasons we have considered it wise and of mutual benefit to contact you after some careful search in the Internet in view to present you as the sole heir to the accumulated wealth of our deceased client and by that you are equally empowered to retrieve the deposited boxes( millions of pounds sterling). These will make you some millions of pounds richer as the sharing ratio will be discussed after your interest has been made known.



Note: Some more confidential information like Names, Amounts/ Sum and many others were with-held and will be divulged only after the reception and scrutiny of your positive response. This deal demands utmost sincerity and therefore, before replying this mail answer these three all important questions within yourself;1] Are you sincerely interested in benefiting from this deal?2] Are you trust worthy? and lastly;3] Are you financially capable of seeing this deal through? If your answers to those questions are in affirmatives( yes) then call yourself the lucky one. This transaction is risk-free for all necessary legal documents are with the lawyer and you will be provided with all legal requirements to back up the claim. These mean that there will be no infringement of laws, ethics or orders in the execution of this deal because legitimate arrangements have been made as will be reveal to you later. Lastly this letter is of innermost confidentiality and therefore should be with-held from non-members of your family. I look forward to hearing from you.



Good Luck!Williams GhaniFor details/compliance click on reply to contact me.
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