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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "=?utf-8?q?Barrister,William=20Amadi?=" <barristerwilliamamadi@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: barri_william200@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:23:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Yours Faithfully


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:barristerwilliamamadi@yahoo.com.co



- It is obvious that this proposal will come to you as a surprise this is because we have not met before, however I am Amadi William personal Attorney to the late Engr.Ali Akbar a Foreigner, and contractor with Shell Petroleum Company in Nigeria. On the 21st of April 2003,my client, his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Lagos Express Road. Unfortunately they all lost their lives in the accident, and the bank has long issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for several years and I have made several inquiries to Embassies to locate any extended relatives of my clients, this has proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I know decided to contact you to assist me in repatriating the money left behind by my client, I can easily convince the bank with my legal practice that you are a relation to my client. Otherwise the bank where this huge deposit was lodged will confiscate the money he left behind. Valued at about $24.5million U.S dollars (Twenty four Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars) I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased, so that the $24.5million U.S dollars can be paid to your account and then you and me can share the money.70% for me and 25% to you, while 5% should be for expenses or tax as government may require. I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I look forward to hear from you urgently so that we can proceed accordingly. Forward your response back to my private email: barramadichamber@hotmail.com if you agree with this all I need from you is Your full name, Age, Home address, Occupation, Mobile phone number, Phone number, fax number, And any necessary Identification I wait for your urgent response, Thanks and God Bless. Yours Faithfully Barrister Amadi William


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