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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: ABIGAIL MORGAN <morgabigail@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <abigailmorgan98@yahoo.es>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 18:46:03 +0200
Subject: DEAR FRIEND.



DEAR FRIEND,
AM MRS ABIGAIL MORGAN FROM SPAIN, MARRIED TO MR GERALD MORGAN, A BRITON FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW. WE HAVE TWO KIDS, I AM THE MANAGER OF BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPATMENT OF OPEN BANK HERE IN SPAIN. I HAVE A BUSINESS PROPOSAL WHICH I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY IN OUR BANK, THE BUSINESS IS THIS, I DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF US18.7 MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLAR, IN THE SAFETY DEPOSIT VAULT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY ON 26TH OF NOVEMBER 2003 IN A GHASTLY MOTOR ACCIDENT ALONG BARCELONA EXPRESS WAY.
SINCE WE GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OFKIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY, BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT CAN NOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINE.UNFORTUNATELY I LEARNT THAT ALL HIS FAMILY DIED ALONGSIDE WITH HIM IN THE MOTOR ACCIDENT LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM SINCE YOU HAVE THE SAME SURNAME WITH OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER, YOU CAN EASILY MAKE THIS DEAL WITH ME. I HAVE ALL THE SECRET INFORMATIONS OF THIS DEPOSIT WHICH WILL HELP YOU TO CLAIM THIS MONEY AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED. THEREFORE, UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR THE CLAIM AND I DONT WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUNDS OR DECLARED TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN.
ONCE THIS IS DONE, THE GERVERNMENT OF SPAIN WILL CONFISCATE THE FUNDS, WHICH IS NOT GOOD FOR BOTH OF US, INSTEAD ITS BETTER FOR US TO DO THE DEAL 40% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER, IN RESPECT TO YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO DO THIS BUSINESS WITH ME, WHILE 60% WOULD BE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR INTEREST OF THE CLAIM OF YOUR INHERITED FUNDS. UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR RESPONSE, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX/EMAIL THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION WHICH YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK. I WILL NOT FAIL TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH-FREE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE PERFECTLY. AT THIS MOMENT YOU SHOULD FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME THROUGH MY EMAIL ADDRESS AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVED THIS LATTER. YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SHOULD BE KEPT VERY CONFIDENTIAL, LET IT BE BETWEEN YOU, ME AND MY HUSBAND ONLY.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ACHIEVE SUCCESS. I WILL LEVEL THE WHOLE ARRANGEMENT HERE IN THE BANK FOR THE TRANSFER TO BE APPROVED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE YOU SHOULD NOTE, MY HUSBAND IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS BUSINESS WITH AND WE BOTH AGREED TO DO THIS BUSINESS WITH YOU. HE ANSWERS MY PHONE ANYTIME I AM AT WORK OR NOT AROUND, FOR THE SECURITY OF THE TRANSACTION, BECAUSE OF MY POSITION IN THE BANK MY PHONE MAY BE MONITORED, SO I THINK IT IS BETTER TO BE DISCUSSING WITH MY HUSBAND REGULARLY, WHILE I WILL BE ARRANGING EVERYTHING IN THE BANK FOR SMOOTH TRANSACTION PLEASE SEND TO ME, YOUR FIXED AND MOBILE PHONE/FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.
I WAIT ON YOU URGENT RESPONSE.
BEST REAGARDS.
ABIGAIL MORGAN.
_________________________________________________________________
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