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: "elvisspenceproject5 Gazeta.pl" <elvis.spence001@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 09:21:43 -0700
Subject: I BELIEVE YOU WILL NOT LET ME DOWN


>From Elvis Spence,
BARCLAYS BANK 7 BWTH PLACE
EC2A 3DR LONDON UK.

Hello Friend,
In order to transfer the sum of GBP15m from our bank here in London. I
have the courage to look for a reliable person who will be capable and
honest for this important transaction, believing that you will not let my
effort down in future, I am Mr. Elvis Spence (jp), the auditor and computing
staff of Barclays Bank here in the UK.

There is an account opened in this bank since 1999 and since 2001 it has not
been operated by any one, after my investigation in some files I could lay
my hands upon, I discovered that if I do not remit this urgent in an account
urgently, it will be confiscated by our bank. The owner of this account is
late Mr. John Hughes Coe and a manager of petrol chemical service and also
an engineer herein London who died since 2003.
My dear, nobody knows about this account or anything about this account, it
is at this junctures that I deem your assistance to remit this money into
your account. I am only contacting you as a friend and partner and as well
as a foreigner, who will not betray me or try to cheat me when you have
received this money. I know that this massage will come to you as a surprise
as you do not know me do I know you this transaction is real, and one
hundred percent risk free, and hoping you will be of immense assistance to
each other when the transaction has been concluded.
When the transfer is approved and payment schedule is allocated overseas
through our offshore payment representative for final clearance and signing
of the payment released form to you as the beneficiary of funds.
I want us to meet face in a round table meeting concern the success of this
transaction to discuss the percentage of sharing the money. Or sign a
binding agreement to bind us together in this transaction, so that we can
receive this money into your nominated Bank account or any account of your
choice, an empty account could serve if possible you can set up a new
account for this purpose, that won't be a bad idea.
I am contacting you because of the need to involved foreigner, where we
can receive these funds as the real beneficiary of money.
I need your cooperation to make this dream a reality; I am ready to give
20% out of the total sum of money upon the conclusion of transaction with
you. I need your assurance that we can work together to achieve.

BEST REGARD,
MR. ELVIS SPENCE
BARCLAYS BANK 7 BWTH PLACE
EC2A 3DR LONDON UK.

Anti-fraud resources: