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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: "Charles Anthony"<jf4rill2005@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <canthonylaw@aim.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 04:24:50 +0100
Subject: Hello!!!!!!!

 
Dear Sir/Ma,
 
Kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you. I believe you are a highly respected personality, considering the fact that I sourced your profile from a human resource profile database on your country. Though, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events.  I am Charles Anthony, a Solicitor.
 
We conducted a research on people search via the Internet Programme and your email address was submitted to us as a possible next of kin to my late Thomas A. who was assasinated after his victory over a politica contest.  I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my client as a beneficiary to a total sum of Twelve Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($12.5Million USD).
 
Our legal services aim to provide our private clients with a complete service. We are happy to prepare wills, set-up and administer Trusts, carry out the administration of estates and prepare and administer powers of attorney. All the papers will be processed in your name and favour.
 
Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in this order: 50% will be for me, 50% will be for you. I have all the necessary legal documents that can back our claim we may make with the Bank.
 
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Get back to me as soon as possible via my office email address:  canthonylaw@aim.com.
 
Please if you are not interested delete this email and do not hunt me because I am putting my career and the life of my family at stake with this venture. Although nothing  ventured is nothing gained. Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.
 
Yours in Service,
Charles Anthony

Anti-fraud resources: