joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: Mr.Tom West <mrtomwest01@live.com>
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:23:56 +1000
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF MR.TOM WEST.

FROM THE DESK OF MR.TOM WEST.
AUDITOR GENERAL IN AUDIT DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL WESTMINISTER (City) BANK
LONDON, UK



DEAR FRIEND,



GOOD DAY. I AM THE AUDITOR GENERAL IN AUDIT DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL WESTMINISTER (City) BANK
LONDON, UK.


IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF US$10.5M DOLLARS (TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER A GERMAN
CITIZEN WHO AMONG OTHERS ON BOARD THAT DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY AND HIS SUPPOSE NEXT OF
KIN ON TUESDAY, 25TH OF JULY YEAR 2000 IN A PLANE CRASHED NEAR PARIS IN FRANCE.



PLEASE VISIT THIS SITE BELOW AND SEE THE DETAILS OF THE CRASHED,



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm



SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND
CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOME BODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR
RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES AND IN THE BRITISH LAW, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY WE LEARNT THAT HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN DIED ALONG SIDE WITH HIM AT THE PLANE
CRASHED LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM.



IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND TO
RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT
DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK
TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.



THE REQUEST OF FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE
CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND NOT FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM



AGREE THAT 45% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT,
5% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 50% WOULD BE FOR ME THEREAFTER,
I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE INDICATED ABOVE.



TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT, YOU MUST APPLY
FIRST TO THE BANK AS A RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED WITH A TEXT OF APPLICATION, SO I
WILL LIKE YOU TO SEND TO ME YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.



UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR BY EMAIL THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION
THAT YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK IN CLAIMING THE MONEY AS THE BENEFICIARY TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER,
I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE AND THAT YOU
SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE
SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THE MONEY INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT.



TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.



YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR.TOM WEST.





Anti-fraud resources: