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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: "Johnson Omeiha" <jsonomeiha09@klikni.cz>
Reply-To: jsonomeiha@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 08:57:03 -0700
Subject: Strictly Confidential


Strictly Confidential

Date: 18th May, 2008

Dear friend,

I am Mr.Johnson Omeiha, from First Inland Bank Plc, Lagos Branch.I got your
contact while searching for a reliable someone to contact for this
transaction.

An America Oil consultant/ contractor with the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, Mr.Ronald Lake made a numbered time (fixed) deposit for twelve
calendar months, valued at US$15,500,000.00 (Fifteen Million,Five Hundred
Thousand Dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity I sent rountine notification
to his forwarded address but got no reply.After a month, we sent a reminder
and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation that Mr.Ronald Lake, California USA unfortunately lost
his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on
January 31st 2000, including his wife Joyce Lake
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

Therefore, on further investigation, I found out that he died without making
a WILL, and attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore
made further investigation and discovered that Mr.Ronald Lake did not
declare any next of kin or relations in all his officialdocuments, including
his bank deposit paperwork in my bank.This sum of US$15,500,000.00 is still
in my bank and no one has ever come forward to claim it. Consequently,my
proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the "next of
kin" to Mr.Ronald Lake.Please on your acceptance to workout this
transaction,do let me know so that I will give you the contact information
of the attorney for you to contact him.There is no risk at all, the
paperwork for this transaction will be done by an attorney and my position
guarantees the successful execution of this transaction.

Moreover everything about this transaction will be done in a most civilized
and non-criminal way, which must be according to internationally acceptable
standards of practice and morals. In addition there is no risk of failure,
or legal, or security problems, or prosecutions etc, for anybody in this
transaction both now and in the future. Therefore, need I say again that you
will indeed not regret your choice of doing this transaction with me at all.

Again, in order not to run foul of the Patriot Act, or any other such laws
that may be in force anywhere, we can as well move this fund in many
installments of smaller bits . I therefore very earnestly solicit your
sincerest cooperation in this project and I will be very glad to give you
some specifics as you may demand from me, as soon as you have confirmed your
interest in this proposal. Please give me your urgent reply in very strict
confidence, by email first and we will proceed from there.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Regards,

Mr.Johnson Omeiha.

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