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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: "Dr. Darrel Cooper" <darrelcooper7@aim.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:29:03 -1100
Subject: Honest Assistance

Dear Friend,


Good fortune has blessed you with a name that
has planted you into the center of relevance in
my life. I would respectfully request that you
keep the content of this mail confidencial
because of its nature and respect the integrity
of this information.

First of all I will like to introduce myself and
status, I am Darrel Cooper, staff of
International Private Banking at
Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited.
I am contacting you concerning a
deceased customer and a financial portfolio of
$14.7m United state dollars, which is placed
under Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited's managements
two years ago for turn over on his behalf.

As the Chief Operations Officer of the private
banking sector, I encouraged the deceased on
his arrival to our bank on various growth of fund
with prime ratings.The favoured route in my
advice to him was accessing datas on 6000
traditional stocks and bond
managements.Based on my advise, attractive
margins accrued profit and interest stood at
over $10m United state dollars,this margin was
not the full potential of the fund but he desired
low risk guaranteed returns on investment. Early
2004 my client asked that the money be
liquidated because of an urgent investment
requiring cash payments here in Botswana, and
that the liquidated fund be deposited in a
private security consulting firm based in Europe who
are specialist private firm that accepts deposits
from high net worth individuals and blue chip
corporations that handle valuable products and
undertake transactions that need immediate
access to cash. This order was given to me in
anticipation of his arrival from Norway later that
week, this was the last communication we had.

Sometimes this year I got a call from
private security firm informing me of
the inactivity of the portfolio, since I was the
only one who knew about the deposit, I
immediatly passed the task of locating my
client to the Internal Investigation Department
of Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited, which now revealed
that the person who suited his description was decleared dead
of a Heart attack in Canne, South of France.
And in line with banking internal processes for
account holders who have passed away, an
investigation was meant to be launched to
contact a possible surviving NEXT OF KIN to
come forward as beneficiary of the fund but
unfortunatly when my client came petronizing
our services, in his bio-data form, no next of
kin was listed neither was there a TESTATE. My
client only used numbers and codes to make
the account he opened with us anonymous.

At this juncture, i'll like to unravel the true
position of this transaction, The private security firm,
has request for statements of
claim from me, and I alone knows of the
existence of the deposit, for as far as
Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited
Bank is concerned the transaction with our late
client concluded when I sent the fund to the
security firm, all outstanding interactions in
relation to the file are just customer service and
due process. The security firm has no single
idea of what the history or nature of the deposit
is, they await instructions to release the deposit
to any party that I nominate as the beneficiary
of the fund. You share similar details to the late
fellow, I am prepared to place you in a position
to instruct the security firm to release
the deposit to you as the NEXT OF KIN.

Let me know your true interest in this pending
transaction so as to ascertain the proceeds, and
I assure you that I could have the deposit
released to you within few days. I implore you
discard this mail if you find no interest in this
transaction, and if my offer is of no appeal to
you, please dont be vindictive and destructive
just delete this message and forget I ever
contacted you.

Finally, I am sending you this mail without a
measure of fear as to what the consequences,
but I know within me that nothing ventured is
nothing gained and that success and riches
never come in a platter of gold. This is the one
truth I have learned from my private banking
clients.

Do not betray my confidence, if we can be of
one accord, we should plan a meeting soon.
I await your response.


Darrel Cooper.
Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited
Head Office
Plot 50672
Off Machel Drive
Fairground Office Park

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