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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: "Javier Francisco" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <javierfrancisco@aol.in>
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:22:12 +0200
Subject: How are you? Please get back asap.

CANALES & ASSOCIADOS
LEGAL PRACTITIONERS &FINANCIALSOLICITORS
Add:C/Serrano no 40 pta. 4d, 28001, Madrid Spain.
Fax: 00-34-911-820311
Email: javierfrancisco@aol.in
                                                                                                                                                                     &nb
 
Dearest in mind,
 
I must first apologize for this unsolicited message to you. I am aware  that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize the need for my action. My name is Bar Francisco. Actually, I got your contact information through your country public records while searching for a last name similar to my late client Eng. Johnson, an expatriate engineer who worked with the Mining and Smelting Company (Asturiana de Zinc S.A.) in Spain for eighteen years. He died along with his family during the Tsunami catastrophe, which occurred on 26th December 2004.
 
Before his death my client has a deposit of $7.8M (SEVENMILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) in a bank in Spain, following my letter to the bank immediately after the death of my client, The bank has mandated me as his personal lawyer to present any family heir/inheritor for claims, before the fund gets confiscated or reverts as unclaimed fund.Since then I have been searching for any of my late client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper works of his deposit.
 
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to my late client Eng. Johnson so that the fund will be transferred to you. With my position as his lawyer, I will now place your name as the next of kin to my late client. I will prepare every relevant document that will assist your claims, Note that this transaction is 100% risk free; I have worked out all modalities to complete the transaction successfully.
 
I will not like you to involve any third party in this transaction, just me and you, besides I am doing this on my own personal capacity and do not wish to bring my office into it.
Once the fund is transferred into your account, we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 40% for you as your benefit and 10% mapped out for any expenses incurred during the transfer. Reply via my private email address or you can call me for further clarification. Please be kind to get back to me if you are not interested so that I can further my search for another partner.
 
Best Regards                                
Barrister Javier Francisco.

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