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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Barr. Gilbert Gray" <gilbertgray1955@yahoo.de> (may be fake)
Reply-To: ogechi_gray@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:04:04 +0200
Subject: Reply ASAP

Barr. Gilbert Gray QC
Gilbert Gray & Associates
Private Solicitors & Advocates to the Queen of England

Attention,

I am Barr. Gilbert Gray, a legal practitioner, I was the personal attorney to an American health consultant (name withheld for now as this is my second email to you) who used to work as a private consultant to the royal family here in England.

On the 13th of December 2006, my client and his family were involved in a car accident in Scotland in which all occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several inquiries here to locate any of my clients relatives, this has proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the Internet, to locate any of his remote relatives hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the fund valued at US$20.5 million left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge amount was deposited.

The said bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his account confiscated within the next twenty-one working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for close to a year now now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last name, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for the claim.

All I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangements that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Please communicate me through my private email gilbertgray32@yahoo.com

Best Regards,

Barr. Gilbert Gray QC
Principal Attorney,
London, England


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