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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Gerard Robbert" <info_pat10@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: gerardrobbert51@aim.com
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:26:22 +1000 (ChST)
Subject: Dear Friend


Hello Friend,

My name is Mr. Gerard Robbert Martinus Sebastiaan, I work with the Finance
Monetary Control Unit here in The Netherlands, we are responsible for
checking foreign account holders in different banks here in Netherlands. I
found your e-mail contact through my Country’s international Web
directory.

During our last annual inspections of all the various accounts bank here
in The Netherlands, my department found a score to settle with a huge sum
of U.S. $10,500,000.00 (Ten million five hundred U.S. Dollar) which was
deposited by a now deceased Mr. Jerry R. Williams, an Australian citizen.

>From My investigations I discovered that the late Jerry R. Williams has no
beneficiary or next of kin to claim his funds (U.S.$10.500.000,00) and the
law of my country here in Holland is that when an account is inactive for
more than eight 8 years the Authority has the right to confisticate the
funds. This funds are about to be confiscated if I do not take advantage
of it. This is why I am contacting to partner me in this once in a
life-time opportunity. All you need to do is to stand as the next of kin
to the decease, my lawyer will process and provide all the relevant
documents to this effect and the money will be transferred to you, your
account in your country so that we can share it and invest it in
profitable businesses.

All I need from you is for us to work together – just follow my
instruction and strategy, l will provide all the relevant information and
documentation that will allow this funds get transferred into your bank
account in your country, legally, without an hitch or a problem. I will
explain it better after you reply this email. I am looking forward to
hearing from you soon.
Kindly write to me directly with your contact to my private email:
gerardrobbert51@aim.com

Best regards,
Mr. Gerard Robbert.

Anti-fraud resources: