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: "Ljubco Panevski" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lski77@sify.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 22:25:49 +0100
Subject: SUISSE INVESTMENT PROJECT

Hello,

Thank you for giving me your time. Please be patient and read my email to you.

I work as an internal auditor for a Suisse Bank. Prior to this
position, I was attached to Private Banking services. I am contacting
you concerning an investment placed under our banks management; you
are contacted independently out of investigation in the bank. I would
like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of
interest to you. In the year 1994, a certain single account holder
(now deceased) came to our bank to engage in business discussions with
our Private Banking Services Department.
He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 21 million United
States dollars, which he wished to have
us invest on his behalf. I was the officer assigned to his case; I
then proceeded to provide numerous suggestions and advise in line with
my duties as the de-facto Chief Operations officer of the Private
Banking Services Department, especially given the volume of funds he
wished to put into our bank. We met on numerous occasions prior to any
investments being placed. I encouraged him to consider various growth
funds with prime ratings. The favored route in my advice to customers
is to start by assessing data on 600 traditional stocks and bond
managers and alternative investments. Based on my advice, we spun the
money around various opportunities and made very attractive profits
margins during our first months of operation; He desired low risk and
guaranteed returns on investments, and as such we could not utilise
the full potential of the funds.

At some point, he requested disinvestments and directed that the funds
be deposited in a Fixed (Numbered) Deposit account in my branch for 12
calender months. His instructions were precisely followed to the
latter and all the funds recalled from the active market and
deposited. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his
forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder
and finally we discovered from his contract employers, that he died
from an automobile accident. On further investigation, I found out
that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next
of kin was fruitless. Further investigation of the said account
revealed that the death occured in 1999, the exact year the account
was last operated, also he did not declare any kin or relations in all
his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my
Bank. This money 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. Banking regulation and legislation
in Switzerland demand that I notify the fiscal authorities after a
statutory time period of twelve years when dormant accounts of this
type are called in by the monetary regulatory bodies. It is only an
outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of the
banking world aberrational. The world of private banking especially is
fraught with huge rewards for those who occupy certain offices and
oversee certain portfolios.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to
stand in as the next of kin. This is especially possible as you share
same details as the said investor. This exactly is why I crave your
participation and co-operation. I have seized all relevant documents
(legal and Banking) that will facilitate our putting you forward as
the claimant and beneficiary of the funds and ultimately transfer the
money to any account nominated by you. Of course you shall be
handsomely rewarded for your part in this transaction as I am prepared
to share the deposit with you in halves 50% of the total funds for
your efforts, less expenses. I shall however leave out the finer
details of this transaction till I receive an affirmation of your
desire to participate. To maintain the level of security required to
see this transaction come to a successful conclusion, I have
intentionally left out the details. Please acknowledge receipt of this
message in acceptance of our mutual partnership and endeavor by
furnishing me with your Full Names, Date of Birth, Telephone Number,
Fax Number, company / position held, Email address, Contact address
and Postal address. These requirements will enable us file letter of
claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your
favor for the deposit to be released to you before the funds can be
released for transfer.

There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will
be done by an attorney and with me as an insider guarantees the
successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested,
please reply immediately to this email: (lupi202@gmail.com). The
dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such
opportunities only come once in a lifetime. Do not betray my
confidence and be rest assured that this transaction would be most
profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to
invest my share in your country.

Awaiting your urgent reply via my email: lupi202@gmail.com

Thanks and regards.
Ljubco Panevski.
Director, Investment Banking.




Anti-fraud resources: