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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: Rickey <rickeytarfa@Rickeytarfa.eu>
Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 13:57:39 +0200
Subject: Dear Sir,How are you today

Dear Sir/Madam

I am Prof. Rickey Tarfa, Legal Practitioners and notary public. I am
contacting on a very confidential issue which involves transfer of a
huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a
transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and
worried, but I am assuring you that everything has been well taken
care off, and all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to
contact you due to the urgency of this transaction and its
confidentiality.

I am an attorney to Late Mr. Vallen I.Whyte, an American Oil
Contractor based in Port Harcourt-Federal Republic of Nigeria who died
in an air crash along with his wife December 9, 2005 plane crash in
Port Harcourt, Rivers State .The Sosoliso airline - Flight 1145 which
took off from Abuja International Airport, Nigeria was on its way to
Port Harcourt AirPort(Nigeria Oil Rich City) when it crash killing
everybody on board.

During his life time the Late Mr. Vallen I. Whyte operates an offshore
account with Standard Charterred Bank Plc,Lagos-Nigeria and as his
trusted attorney I am privy to the deposit and it contains a total of
Twenty Eight Million Two Hundred and Thirty One Thousand U.S.Dollars
Only.

Since his death, his bankers have severally communicated with me to
present Late Mr. Vallen I.Whyte next of kin who will apply and claim
the above stated deposited contained in his account but the problem is
that Late Mr. Vallen I. Whyte died along with his family in the plane
crash and all effort to trace any other members of his family has
proved abortive.

My problem now is that his bankers contacted me few days ago and
informed me that if by the end of this year and Late Mr. Vallen I.
Whyte next of kin do not apply to claim this deposit,that the money
will be called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and
confiscated as the law allows banks to keep such deposit for only 8
years after which the bank can confiscate the deposit and return same
to the Government as unclaimed deposit.

It is on this note I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used
as the next of kin/beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the
bank directors to share this money amongst them at the end of the
year. It may interest you to know that I have secured from the probate
an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries.

It is on this note I now seek your permission to have you stand as a
next of kin to the deceased, as all documentations portraying you as
the next of kin to late Mr. Vallence Whyte will be carefully worked
out by me.

1. Your Full Name, Address and copy of identification (passport or
drivers license to enable me process the Documents portraying you as
the next of kin.

2. Direct Telephone/Fax for our personal Contacts.

3)Your full banking deatils where you want the money to be transfer
to(Bank Name,Address,Account Name,Account Number,Swift Code,ABA or
IBAN Number)

I shall be compensating you with 30% of the total sum on final
conclusion of this project for your assistance.

Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you by
informing you of this transaction as I will advise you to kindly
desist from responding at all if you do not intend to render any
assistance. Endeavor to respond via my secured email
address:rickeytarfa@rickeytarfa.eu


Thanks and best regards,

Mr. Rickey Tarfa
Rickey Tarfa & co
Legal Practitioners and notary public
Lagos-Nigeria
Email:rickeytarfa@rickeytarfa.eu
Tel No:+00234-874001004


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