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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: "christian brown" <christianb093@msn.com>
Reply-To: cb_brown2007@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:15:34 +0000
Subject: 06-06-2009

>From Moliehi Lerato
#67 Cresent Close,
Lynnwood Road
Hatfield Pretoria
Gauteng, South Africa.
Hello,

I am the Chief Auditor NATWEST BANK PLC, South Africa. I managed to get your
email address through the Internet myself to intimate you of the following
development. One of our accounts with holding balance of £67,500,000:00
(Sixty-Seven Million, Five Hundred thousand United State Dollars) has been
dormant and last operated many years ago. From my investigations, the
depositor of the funds passed away (dead) leaving no beneficiary to the
Account. Since then, nobody has done anything regarding the claiming of this
money because no one including his family members has any knowledge of
either the account or the funds.

The owner of this account is Mr.Rafik Hariri, I am certainly sure that he is
dead and nobody will ever come again for the claim of this money. Late Rafik
Bahaa Edine Hariri (November 1, 1944-February 14, 2005), married to Nazek
Audi Hariri, was a Lebanese self-made billionaire and business tycoon, and
was five times Prime Minister of Lebanon (1992-1998 and 2000-2004) before
his last resignation from office on October 20, 2004. The late Rafik Hariri
died on February 14, 2005 when explosives equivalent to around 300 kg of C4
were detonated as his motorcade drove past the Saint George Hotel in the
Lebanese capital, for more information please log on to
(http://www.hariri.info).

This sum of £67,500,000:00 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is
being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one
will ever come forward to claim it. According to the South Africa Law, at
the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of
the South Africa Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. A foreigner
with legal claims to the account Holder can claim this money. I will provide
all the necessary information needed in order to claim this money.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in
as the next of kin to Late Rafik Bahaa Edine Hariri so that the fruits of
this old man's labour will not get into the hands of some corrupt government
officials. This is simple, I will like you to provide to me your full names,
address and bank account so that the attorney will prepare the necessary
documents and affidavits that will put you in place as the next of kin. We
shall employ the service of the lawyer for drafting and notarization of the
WILL and to obtain the necessary documents and letter of
probate/administration in your favor for the transfer. A bank account in any
part of the world that you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of
this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid
into your account for us to share in the ratio of 60% for me and 40% for
you.

There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be
done by the attorney and my position as the Branch Manager of the bank
guarantees the successful execution of this transaction. If you are
interested, please reply immediately via this private email address
cb_brown2007@yahoo.co.jp Upon your response, I shall then provide you with
more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the
transaction. Please observe utmost confidentiality.

Awaiting your urgent reply via my email address.

Thanks and best regards.

Mr. Christian Brown
cb_brown2007@yahoo.co.jp



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