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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: "Paul Andrews" <email.personal51@gmail.com>
Reply-To: barr.paulandrews@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 20:50:59 +0800
Subject: personal email

This is a personal email directed to you I am Paul Andrews, a solicitor at law. Mr.
Robert, was my friend and I stood as his solicitor while he was alive. Mr. Robert, was
involved in an accident with his immediate family and they all lost their lives.
After the death of Robert, I was informed by his account officer to make contact with
any of his extended family member that will stand in as the next of kin to his estate.
(9.8 million British Pound)

I have written several letters to the embassy with an intent to locate any of his
extended relatives whom shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal
estate and all such efforts have been to no avail. The board of directors of the
company just adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for the
payment of this money within the next 15 official working days or forfeit the money as
an abandoned funds.The company had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of
the company to confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given me. Also I
have received official letters in the last two days suggesting a likely proceeding for
confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws of the
institution.

Well I have reasoned very professionally and I can use a legal means to present a next
of kin of my deceased client. this is legally possible and would be done in accordance
with the laws of the land. On this note I decided to search for a credible person and
finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with
your consent, present you to the "trustee" as my late client's family member so as to
enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client. I
find this possible for the fuller reasons that you are of the same nationality and you
bear a similar last name with my late client making it a lot easier for you to put up a
claim in that capacity.

I think it is unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the government of this
country or some financial institution. My aim is to retrieve this fund, for this I seek
your assistance since I have been unable to locate the relatives for the past 8years
now.
I have all vital documents that would confer you the legal right to make this claim and
would make them available to you so that the proceeds of this bank account valued at
9.8million can be paid to you before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable to
the bank where this huge amount is lodged.

I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have
the same last name giving you the advantage so that the proceeds of this account can be
paid to you and then both of us can share the money.I know there might be other persons
out there with the same surname as my last client, but after a little check my instinct
tells me to contact you. Can I trust you on this?I shall assemble all the necessary
documents that will be used to back up your claim.

Please get in touch with me by calling my numbers below or by my alternative email:
(barr.paulandrews@hotmail.com) and send to me your,telephone and fax numbers to enable
us discuss further on this transaction.
Kind Regards.
Barrister Paul Andrews,

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