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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: "Thomas Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <thomas_williams102@advir.com>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 03:03:42 +0100
Subject: Dear Friend,

Dear Friend,


Good fortune has blessed you with a name that has planted you into the center
of relevance in my life. I would respectfully request that you keep the content
of this mail confidential because of its nature and respect the integrity of
this information. First of all I'll like to introduce myself and status, I am
Mr.Thomas Williams, Cheif Operations Officer of HSBC Bank London. I am contacting
you concerning a deceased customer and a financial portfolio of $10m United
state dollars, which he placed under HSBC Bank managements two years ago for
turn over on his behalf.

This order was given to me in anticipation of
her arrival from United States later that week, this was the last communication
we had. Sometime that year I got a call from CORPORATE SECURITIES CO,informing
me of the in-activity of the portfolio, since I was the only one who knew about
the deposit, I immediately passed the task of locating my client to the
Internal Investigation Department of HSBC, which now revealed that the person
who suited his description was declared dead of a Heart attack in Christian
Health Care, Nevada, Dec. 30, 2007. And in line with banking internal processes
for account holders who have passed away, an investigation was meant to be
launched to contact a possible surviving NEXT OF KIN to come forward as
beneficiary of the fund but unfortunately when my client came patronizing our
services, in her bio-data form, no next of kin was listed neither was there a
TESTATE.

Finally, I am sending you this mail without a measure of fear as to what the
consequences are, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained
and that success and riches never comes in a platter of gold. This is the one
truth I have learnt from my private banking clients. Do not betray my
confidence, if we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting soon.


I await your response.

Thomas Williams

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