joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "FROM: MR WATSON DAN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <watsondan003@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 15:27:18 -0700
Subject: FROM: MR WATSON DAN(PLEASE TREAT WITH CONFIDENTIALITY)

FROM: MR WATSON DAN
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA
JOHANNESBURG. SOUTH AFRICA
PRIVATE Email:WATSONDAN004@GMAIL.COM


ATTN:SIR/MADAM


PLEASE KEEP THIS CONFIDENTIAL


I Am MR WATSON DAN, a Staff of FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA. I am
writing following an opportunity in my office that will be of immense benefit to
both of us. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of USD$10.8 Million
(TEN MILLION, Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in an account that
belongs to one of our foreign customers Late MR. ROBERT OST, an American who
unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261
which crashed on January 31 2005, including his wife and only daughter.


Since we got information about his death, we have been silently expecting his
next of kin or relatives to come over and claim his money because we cannot
release it unless somebody applies for it as Next of Kin or Relation to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines, Unfortunately I learnt that his
supposed next of kin being his only daughter died along with him in the plane
crash leaving nobody with the knowledge of this fund behind for the claim.


It istherefore upon this discovery that I as the Head of this Department now decided
to make business with you and release the money to you as the Next of Kin or
beneficiary of the funds for safety keeping and subsequent disbursement since
nobody is coming for it and we don't want this money to go back into
Government treasury as unclaimed bill.

The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that such money remained after
five years the money will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed
funds. I agreed that 30% of this money would be for you as foreign partner and
for your assistance, while the balance will be for my investment in your
country. I will visit your country for the disbursement according to the
percentages indicated above once this money gets into your account.

Please be honest to me and trust is our watchword in this transaction, note this
transaction is confidential and risk free. As soon as you receive this mail you
should contact me back on my PRIVATE Email:WATSONDAN004@GMAIL.COM, Please note that all necessary arrangement for the smooth release of these funds to you will
be finalized as soon as you are willing to asist.


We will discuss much in details when I do receive your response, please in your
response include your personal details for smooth transaction:


NAME IN FULL:

TELEPHONE/FAX

CONTACT ADDRESS :

AGE/SEX:

OCCUPATION:

Please this details is for easy communication of this transaction and to
facilitate the transfer excercise.

Best Regards

FROM: MR WATSON DAN
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA
JOHANNESBURG. SOUTH AFRICA
PRIVATE Email:WATSONDAN004@GMAIL.COM
PHONE:0027 783 677 681


Anti-fraud resources: