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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: Barrister Michael Lee Chanbers <russ1971@yandex.ru>
Reply-To: barristermichaelchember@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:24:52 +0800
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL NOTIFICATION.

 
 
 
FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER MICHAEL LEE SOLICITORS AND ADVOCATE
1ST FLOOR JALAN SUSUR BATU 21 TAMAN NAM
TAK 80000 KUALA LUPUR MALAYSIA.
 
 
Attention,
 
You may be surprised to receive this Email from me please find time to go through it, it is a matter that I am convinced we can solve both,if we work together in harmony.
 
However,I seek for your absolute confidence as I introduce myself to you. My name is BARRISTER MICHAEL LEE,I am a Legal Attorney here in Malaysia.
 
A lawyer to late Thomas McCulloch of Durango,Colorado who lost his life in a plane crash involving Egypt Air Flight
990,including his wife and only daughter. He was one of the state's most prominent native and business leader. All these you are very free to verify from the web link below for more information and clarification about his socio-economic status until his death.
 
WEBSITE http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/502503.stm
 
Before the demise of my client was having domiciliary account as a foreign businessman here in Malaysia that has remained dormant for three years now , he disclosed to me his account status, which amounted to Ten million six hundred  Thousand US dollars (US$10.6m) in it. He also handed over to me some vital copies of documents regarding this fund already trapped at finance house in MALAYSIA, I have made thorough inquiries about his relatives but,discovered no one really knows about this fund currently sited at MALAYSIA. Since then, I have made successive attempts to get his next of kin or relative to come forth and claim this fund but to no avail.
 
As a personal lawyer to my late client, I cannot in any way claim it unless someone overseas does so. Just two weeks ago, I received a routine notification from the finance house concerning this fund, and the officials of this firm issued a warning, stressing the urgency for late Mr.Thomas McCulloch's relative or next of kin to come forward to claim this fund immediately or they will have it confiscated and forwarded to the nation's treasury account as an unclaimed fund. This is the agreement they have reached at the company and they also reiterated that this is according to the company guidelines.
 
MY REQUEST;
 
Owing to the fact that his daughter whom should have stand a better chance of claiming this fund, also perished in that fatal air crash,I want you to stand in as the next of kin to late Mr. Thomas McCulloch.Like I earlier asserted, I am contacting you,so we can work together to remit the money to you as the Next of Kin because this money belongs to a foreigner and has to be claimed by a foreigner.I guarantee this transaction under a legitimate arrangement that will not bridge the law by both parties, I have in my possession the necessary documents that will enable me to place you in, as the right beneficiary to my late client's fund in this firm. I have options to offer you, first you can choose to have certain percentage of the money for your assistance, or you can go into partnership for a proper profitable investment of the money. Which ever option you choose, feel free to notify me.If in any reasons you prefer a partnership,I am willing to give you 30% of the money,and 60 % will b
 
I must remind you that trust and transparency must be our watchword in the course of this transaction.
 
Note,on the event that you cannot assist me to do the transaction, I beg you to still keep my contact and existence of this fund a secret. I also require you make available to me your confidential telephone and fax numbers to enable me communicate with you easily.
 
It is simple process which will take a short while to process.Please contact me at once to indicate your interest.
I will give you more detailed information regarding on what to do and how to do it for us to achieve good success about thIS transaction as soon as i hear from you.
Required Details
Full Name:
Full Address:
Phone Number
Age:
Sex:
 
I look forward to receiving your reply soon.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Barrister Michael Lee 
.

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