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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: "James Douglas" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <james121douglas@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:05:10 +0100
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE.

DIVINE CHAMBERS
SOLICITORS AND ADVOCATES.

Dear,
Good day, first, I apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a Certified mail/Post-mail. This is due to the urgency and importance of the information.
Secondly, this project is based on Trust, confidentiality and sincerity of purpose in order to have an acceptable meeting of the minds. I am a fifty two (52) years old established lawyer. My name is Mr. James Douglas, a legal personal attorney to an expatriate and a consultant with an American Oil company,PENNZ OIL & GAS (Now deceased) He died in the Tsunami disaster on 26th December 2004 while on vacation in Thailand.

Six years ago, My Client successfully executed a contract worth US$20.3 million dollars. A part payment of USD11.million dollars was paid to my client while he was alife, while the balance of USD9.3 million Dollars was still unpaid before my client died in the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster. However, all my efforts to locate the possible next of kin proved abortive. Until his sudden demise, He was not married and was 44years old.
NOW THE CRUX OF THIS E-LETTER is that the balance of the outstanding funds has already been deposited in his bank. As his personal attorney/Adviser, his bank has officially notified and instructed me to forward particulars of my client's next of kin within the next 14 official working days so that he/she can be paid the outstanding USD9.3 Million dollars otherwise his payment will be diverted to the government coffers account as unclaimed bill.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating any of his relatives, I decided to contact you for a deal so that we can work together as a team to remit the money to your account as my client's next of kin since I do not want to sit and watch my client's hard earned entitlement to be frittered away.

Although I know that a transaction of this magnitude might make anyone apprehensive but I would like to assure you that I am proposing this project to you with the best of intentions. As a lawyer, I have the power to secure all the necessary legal documents that will be used for this claim. All I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a Legitimate banking arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. Upon successful conclusion of this project, you will be compensated with 40% of the total fund, while 50% will be for me and 10% for expenses which we will incur in the process of securing the transfer.

If you are interested to work with me in this deal then kindly reply strictly with your personal Telephone /fax number for effective communication and oral clarification on how to proceed next.

Sincerely yours,
James Douglas esq.
{Principal Partner)

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