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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: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:37:38 +0800
Subject: ATTN:


ATTN:
MY NAME IS BARRISTER GARRY JEFF. I AM A LEGAL PRACTITIONER WITH GARRY JEFF
LAW FIRM IN KUALA LUMPUR,MALAYSIA .
I SAW YOUR CONTACT AND PROFILE I DECIDED THAT YOU COULD COOPERATE WITH ME
IN THIS PROPOSITION. I HAVE A CLIENT WHO WAS DECEASED IN MARCH 12 2004,
IN KUALA LUMPUR HOSPITAL ,MALAYSIA.
I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE I FELT THAT YOU COULD HELP ME IN THE
DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING THAT WERE LEFT IN MY DECEASED CLIENT'S BANK
ACCOUNT. THIS FUNDING IS CLOSED TO BE DECLARED UN-SERVICEABLE BY THE BANK
AS THERE WERE NO
INDICATED NEXT OF KIN OR NEXT OF BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDING IN THE BANK
ACCOUNT.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CASH IN THE BANK ACCOUNT OF MY DECEASED CLIENT IS
US$4.7 MILLION (FOUR MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND US$).
THE BANK HAD ISSUED TO ME A NOTIFICATION TO CONTACT THE NEXT OF KIN OF MY
DECEASED CLIENT FOR EITHER TO RE ACTIVATE THE ACCOUNT OR TO MAKE CLAIM
MY PROPOSITION TO YOU IS TO SEEK YOUR CONSENT, AND TO PRESENT YOUR KIND
SELF AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN AND BENEFICIARY OF MY DECEASED CLIENT, THIS
MEANS THAT THE PROCEEDS OF HIS BANK ACCOUNT WOULD BE PAID TO YOU AS HIS
NEXT OF KIN OR THE LEGITIMATE BENEFICIARY. WHEN THE PROCEEDS IN HIS B
ANK
ACCOUNT ARE PAID TO YOU, WE WOULD SHARE THE PROCEEDS ON A MUTUALLY
AGREED-UPON PERCENTAGE OF 60% TO ME AND 40% TO YOUR KIND SELF.
ALL THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS TO BACK UP YOUR CLAIM AS MY CLIENT'S NEXT-OF-KIN
WOULD BE PROVIDED BY ME. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WOULD NEED IS YOUR
HONEST COOPERATION TO IN THIS PROPOSITION. THIS WOULD BE DONE UNDER A
LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT WOULD PROTECT YOU FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW.
IF THIS BUSINESS PROPOSITION OFFENDS YOUR MORAL AND ETHIC VALUES, DO
ACCEPT MY SINCERE APOLOGY.
PLEASE CONTACT ME AT ONCE IF YOU INTERESTED BY REPLYING THE MAIL AND
IGNORE IT IF YOU ARE NOT.
BEST REGARDS,
BARRSTER GARRY JEFF ESQ.

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