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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: "franciscus gerardus" <franciscus00g@unimail.mn>
Reply-To: franciscusgerardus2007@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:26:34 +0100
Subject: INHERITANCE PAYMENT NOTICE.


From The Desk:
Attorney Franciscus Gerardus Esq.
Mohrenstrasse 37 D - 10117 Berlin Germany.
E-mail:franciscusgerardus2007@gmail.com<E-mail%3Afranciscusgerardus2007@gmail.com>

Attn:

I am Attorney Franciscus Gerardus counsel to late (Mr.Allen Cahill) from
Canada who works with Zenon Oil unfortunately died on a heart attack in
Paris France on the dated 7th July 2005. Since the death of (Mr.Allen
Cahill) I as his counsel have made several enquiries to locate his relations
to come up for the inheritance claim, without any success.

I came across your name and contact on the course of my personal searching
for my late client relations/next of kin so I decided to contact you for
this project. I am contacting you to assist in securing the wealth left
behind in a fixed deposit account by my late client before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where my late client
operates an account. The board of Directors of the bank has issued and
spread a notice that after 2 months from now and no relation shown up for
the claiming of the said funds, the funds will be confiscated and declared
unserviceable.

Since The board of Directors of the bank have been unsuccessful in locating
my client relatives for sometime now, it's on this note that I seek your
consent to present you as the relation/next of kin to my late client that
the proceed of this deposit can be released into your account (The amount
deposited US$24.8 Million). I guarantee that this transaction will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement which will protect you from any
breach of the law. Upon your response, furnish me with your information as
stated in this manner to avoid making any mistake.

Your Full Name:............................
Your Complete Address:.....................
Date of Birth (Day/Month/Year:.............
Direct Telephone/Mobile Number:............
Fax Number:................................
Occupation:................................

Your quick response will be highly appreciated. Please note all
correspondent should be through my alternative private email address:(
franciscusgerardus2007@gmail.com) kindly send your reconfirmed information's
immediately.As soon as I receive all these information from you I will
present it to the Bank Directors, that I have located the relation to my
late client since they asked that I should provide the next of kin for them
to release the inheritance fund. Please do not hesitate to respond to this
mail for our mutual benefit.

Yours faithfully,

Franciscus Gerardus.

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