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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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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:
- This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million british pounds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "John Wild" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <willy2@jmail.co.za>
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:24:00 +0100
Subject: Attn:Reply.....
I know this means of communication may not be morally right to you as a person but I have had a great thought about it and I have come to this conclusion which I am about to share with you.
I am the former credit manager of Natwest Bank London and in one way or the other was hoping you will cooperate with me in this endeavor I am about to undertake.
I stumbled upon an account of a deceased client of this bank who was among the dead of the tsunami disaster that took place in Indonesia December 2004. And now my proposal to you is that I want you to cooperate with me in seeing that these funds of the deceased client does not go down the drain. HOW? Let me explain.
At the end of a five year depository mandate of any bonded depository account, if such an account is not claimed or renewed to commence another tenure of 5 additional years, a 6 months period of grace is granted to the account holder or its designated beneficiary, a probate order of Mandamus is then issued to provide such a beneficiary whereby failure to do so at the end of its expiration the funds will be quarantined and shared amongst the directors of the bank at the end of that fiscal year.
This is about to happen to the said funds of the deceased client and the amount involved is 2.8 Million British Pounds (Two Million Eight hundred thousand Pounds), this I feel may not be to upright from both my end and also the end of the directors of the bank but I think it would rather be more beneficial to you and I who at the end of the day will use the funds to affect the lives of other people as well as close family members and well wishers. After sharing it 50% each.
I want you to please look at this opportunity as a good cause and please remove every form of guilt from your mind because at the end of the day it's either the bank officials who get the funds or us. I also want you to know that the whole process is 100% safe and you are guaranteed of your safety.
I await your response so that we can commence this project as soon as possible if you are ready to embark on this transaction with me, we will both exchange our phone numbers for easy communication
Regards,
John Wild.
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