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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: "Mr. William Chukwubueze" <william17@livedoor.com>
Reply-To: illiam3cccc@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:14:49 -0700
Subject: PLEASE READ AND REPLY FAST


Hello,

I am William Chukwubueze representing Prudential Insurance. Actually,
correspondence is purely private, and it should be treated as such. I am
contacting you based on Trust and confidentiality that will be attached to
this deal for the benefit of both of us. The Management and the Legal/
Treasury Department of this Prudential Insurance in a recent meeting,
recommended that the Assurance Contract of Mr. Robert Finkelstein, who
maintained a Life Insurance Policy, should be declared Dormant and
confisticated hence moving his unclaimed benefits funds to the Treasury. I
came across a very huge sum of money belonging to the above deceased person
(Robert Finkelstein). This man was our client and has a Life Insurance
Policy WORTH the sum of Twenty Nine Million Three Hundred Thousand USD
(US$29,300,000.00). Right now, the fund is lying unclaimed in our custody
and there is NO next of kin mentioned in his file and there is NO HOW we can
reach any of his other relatives. All efforts made by us to establish
contacts with any other of his relation has proved abortive and
unsuccessful. His Life Insurance Policy will expire in the next few months
from the date of this letter. Just a few weeks back, we received an
instruction from Ministry of Social Welfare to forward particulars of all
unclaimed benefits that will expire in the next few months.

Upon my personal finding on this matter, I kept this information secret to
myself until now that I am contacting you. In view of the fact that the
deceased customer is a foreigner (from a different country), it is
Officially important for the involvement of a foreigner who will pose as a
next-of-kin. I will use my position in this Company to present you as his
Next of Kin as you can be his relative, friend or Cousin or even his
business associate if you so choose and the Money (US$29.3Million) will be
Safely transfered into your own bank account in your country. Please include
your telephone/fax number/ Home Address when replying this mail and I will
give you more information as soon as you indicate your willingness to assist
in this viable transaction. Please provide the following:

1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER
3. HOME ADDRESS/COMPANY'S NAME AND ADDRESS.
4. YOUR AGE AND OCCUPATION

The transaction will be done successfully and smoothly completed via email
and telephone. I PROMISE that you must be happy and shall rejoice greatly
soonest for cooperation with me in this transaction. After successful
conclusion of this transaction, we shall share the money 70-30 (30% for you
and 70% for me). I await your good response today.

Kind Regards,
William

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