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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: "JAMES HARFORD" <mrjamesharford9@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrjamesharford@sify.com
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2008 21:29:30 +0100
Subject: RE: LET'S WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR FUTURE


From the Desk of
Mr James Harford
Advocate & Solicitors
London UK


Dear Friend,

With due respect and regards,i crave your indulgence through this
letter,proposing to handle a certain transaction with me as a tusted
partner,i must appologised if i am using this letter to encroach into your
privacy,pardon me for it will be beneficial to both of us at the end.

My name is MR JAMES HARFORD, I am a senior Advocate here in united kingdom,i
am contacting to solicit your permision and assistance to retreive/claim
some funds USD$18.600.000.00.(EIGHTEEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
STATES DOLLARS) which my late client deposited with a bank here in uk
before his sudden death.

Some time last month,i took my time to go through files in my chamber,which
i discovered that my late client MR SACCAL FOAUD,who died some years ago
deposited this huge amount of fund with this bank,which he left behind.

Presently,the death of my late client turned his account with that bank
dormant till date,while the bank instructed that i should provide or present
this man's next of kin,thus i contact you to stand as his next of kin for
both of us to claim this huge amount for ourselves,rather than the british
government declaring this fund as an unclaimed fund.


Note that as an attorney here in UK ,this is a simple transaction to
handle.Note that i am going to guide you on how we should go about this
transaction to achieve success .While i will raise all the neccessary and
official documents to back you up as my late client next of kin.

Note,upon the receipt of your reply email indicating your interest to carry
out this deal with me,i will furnish you with all the important details and
modalities to utilise this great opportunity,and also the percentage sharing
of this total fund will be discussed upon the successful transfer.

Also note that,i have arranged this transaction in a most official
manner,which is risk hitch free,now or in future ,you should send me the
following information/data of yours,to help me raise official documents that
will back you up put up this claim officially:

1) YOUR FULL NAME:

2) YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS:

3) YOUR TELEPHONE NO:

4) OCCUPATION / AGE:


REMEMBER THAT SUCCESS OF EVERY BUSINESS IS SECRET,THEREFORE I WILL OBLIGE
YOU TO HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION WITH TOTAL CONFIDENTIALITY,FOR US TO ACHEIVE
OUR GOAL.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

Awaits your prompt response.

Mr JAMES HARFORD

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