joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: Emmanuel Igwe <auditorigwe@yahoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:20:52 +0100 (CET)
Subject: TO YOUR ATTENTION - Take Note


Greetings,

I have urgent and very confidential business proposal for you in reference with Prof. Karl U. Sou's legacy. Prof. Karl U. Sou (a foreigner) was an international Gold consultant/contractor with the West African Solid Gold Corporation, operational within the sixteen member countries of West African States (ECOWAS REGIONS ) and he made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at €14.700, 000.00 in my branch. And upon maturity of the release and transfer of his fund to him, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the West African Solid Gold Corporation that Prof. Karl U. Sou, died in a tragedy event of house ablaze by ardent fire burning which took place at exactly 3.28am on the 25th December 2005.

Since we got this information about his death. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless because his wife whom he declared/certified as his heir in the deposit certificate was involved in the same tragedy and also died a long the line with their three children. I have also conducted personal research and discovered that he did not declare any relations as a next kin in all his official documents irrespective of his wife, included his Bank Deposit paperwork in the Bank. This sum of €14.700, 000.00 is still sitting in the Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it except you considers this a deal and cooperate with me for this claim.

According to West African Monetary Laws and statistics, at the expiration of 4 (four) years, the money will be reverted to the Government as an unclaimed proceeds, if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, i am due to retirement from office next year 2009. My proposal is that I will like you to come in as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin to Prof. Karl U. Sou, so that the funds will not get into the hands of some corrupted government officials as unclaimed proceeds.

I am the director in charge of auditing and accounting unit of BANQUE ARABE LIBYENNE TOGOLAISE DU COMMERCE EXTERIEUR LOME-TOGO. Therefore with my position in the bank, this claim is very simple, what you have to do is to provide immediately your full names and address so that i will credit your information in the bank computer system recording you as his next of kin while i will direct you accurately on how to come up for a smooth and fruitful claim.

MODALITIES:

I want you to know that all modalities for the successful of this transfer to you have been mapped out and success is 100% sure. We will use an accredited resident attorney functional with West African Bankers Association (WABA) to prepare the necessary documents that will back you up as the next of kin to Prof. Karl U. Sou, all that is required from you is to provide me with your Full Names and Address, so that I will use them for the underground job in the bank while the attorney can commence his job as well.

After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will file for claims on your behalf and also secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in your favour for the movement of the funds to an account that will be provided by you. We are going to adopt a legalized method because the attorney will prepare all necessary documents in your favour.

There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking. There is no risk involved at all in our planned modalities, I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is if you refuse to work with me and alert the bank about this deal. I am the only one who knows of this situation as of now and will like to seal it up smoothly.

Please endeavour to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue. Once the funds have been transferred to your nominated bank account, we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 50% for you.

I send you this mail not 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 easy or on a platter of gold. Please observe these instructions religiously.

Should you be interested please send me your:
1, Full names and address.
2, Telephone and fax numbers.
And finally after that I shall furnish you with more information about this operation.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Upon your positive response to this covenant, I will make all necessary information known to you.

Kindly get in touch with me through my email address: auditor.emma-igwe@laposte.net for more guidelines to the repatriation of this fund.

Yours Sincerely

Emmanuel Igwe.
7 Caise Residence du benin BP: 1421 Lome
Tel: 002280951423


---------------------------------
Yahoo! Mail : Stockage illimité et Messenger intégré. Changez aujourd'hui de mail !

Anti-fraud resources: