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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: "henrry joe" <henrry05@ig.com.br>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:29:12 +0200
Subject: URGENT FROM DR FELIX


FROM DR HERRY JOE
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN
WEST AFRICA.

DEAR ,
I AM DR HERRY JOE, THE DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SECTION
OF INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA IN WEST AFRICA WITH DUE RESPECT AND REGARDS
I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU ON A BUSINESS TRANSACTION THAT WILL BE VERY
BENEFICIAL TO BOTH OF US AT THE END OF THE TRANSACTION.

DURING OUR INVESTIGATION AND AUDITING IN THIS BANK, MY DEPARTMENT CAME
ACROSS A VERY HUGE SUM OF MONEY BELONGING TO A DECEASED PERSON WHO DIED ON
31ST OCTOBER 1999 IN A PLANE CRASH AND THE FUND HAS BEEN ORMANT IN HIS
ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK WITHOUT ANY CLAIM OF THE
FUND IN OUR CUSTODY EITHER FROM HIS FAMILY OR RELATION BEFORE OUR DISCOVERY
TO THIS DEVELOPMENT.

ALTHOUGH PERSONALLY, I KEEP THIS INFORMATION SECRET WITHIN MYSELF AND
PARTNERS TO ENABLE THE WHOLE PLANS AND IDEA BE PROFITABLE AND SUCCESSFUL
DURING THE TIME OF EXECUTION. THE SAID AMOUNT WAS U.S $21.7M (TWENTY ONE
MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES
DOLLARS). AS IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW, I GOT YOUR IMPRESSIVE INFORMATION
THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON FOREIGN BUSINESS RELATIONS
HERE IN FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

MEANWHILE ALL THE WHOLE ARRANGEMENT TO PUT CLAIM OVER THIS FUND AS THE
BONAFIDE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED, GET THE REQUIRED APPROVAL AND TRANSFER
THIS MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND DIRECTIVES AND
NEEDED INFORMATION WILL BE RELAYED TO YOU AS
SOON AS YOU INDICATE YOUR INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST ME AND ALSO
BENEFIT YOUR SELF TO THIS GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.

IN FACT I COULD HAVE DONE THIS DEAL ALONE BUT BECAUSE OF MY POSITION IN THIS
COUNTRY AS A CIVIL SERVANT(A BANKER),WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE A FOREIGN
ACCOUNT AND WOULD EVENTUALLY RAISE AN EYE BROW ON MY SIDE DURING THE TIME OF
TRANSFER BECAUSE I WORK IN THIS BANK.

THIS IS THE ACTUAL REASON WHY IT WILL REQUIRE ASECOND PARTY OR FELLOW WHO
WILL FORWARD CLAIMS AS THE NEXT OF KIN WITH AFFIDAVIT OF TRUST OF OATH TO
THE BANK AND ALSO PRESENT A FOREIGN ACCOUNT WHERE HE WILL NEED THE MONEY TO
BE RE-TRANSFERRED INTO ON HIS REQUEST AS IT
MAY BE AFTER DUE VERIFICATION AND CLARIFICATION BY THE CORRESPONDENT BRANCH
OF THE BANK WHERE THE WHOLE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED FROM TO YOUR OWN
DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO INFORM YOU THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE. ON
SMOOTH CONCLUSION OF THIS TRANSACTION, YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO 30% OF THE
TOTAL SUM AS GRATIFICATION, WHILE 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE TO TAKE CARE OF
EXPENSES THAT MAY ARISE DURING THE TIME OF TRANSFER AND ALSO TELEPHONE
BILLS, WHILE 65% WILL BE FOR ME PLEASE, YOU HAVE BEEN ADVICED TO KEEP "TOP
SECRET" AS I AM STILL IN SERVICE AND INTEND TO RETIRE FROM SERVICE AFTER WE
CONCLUDE THIS DEAL WITH YOU.

I WILL BE MONITORING THE WHOLE SITUATION HERE IN THIS BANK UNTILYOU CONFIRM
THE MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT AND ASK ME TO COME DOWN TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR
SUBSEQUENT SHARING OF THE FUND ACCORDING TO PERCENTAGES PREVIOUSLY INDICATED
AND FURTHER INVESTMENT, EITHER IN YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY COUNTRY YOU ADVICE US
TO INVEST IN ALL OTHER NECESSARY
VITAL INFORMATION WILL BE SENT TO YOU WHEN I HEAR FROM YOU
PLEASE INDICATE YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER WHEN REPLYINGTHIS
BUSINESS PROPOSAL MEANWHILE YOU CAN REPPLY ME THROUGH THIS MY PRIVATE EMAIL
drhenry72@yahoo.com

YOU CAN ALSO FILL FREE TO CALL ME FOR MORE UNDERSTANDING +22993723147,
IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED, PLEASE ALSO INDICATE SO THAT IT WILL ENABLE ME TO
CONTACT ANOTHER FOREIGN PARTNER WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS
DEAL,A SWIFT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF YOUR RECEIPT OF THIS MAIL WILL BE APPRECIATED
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ,I LOOK FORWARD
TO RECEIVE YOUR EMAIL.

BEST REGARDS
DR HERRY JOE.

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