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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: "From: Ms. Margaret Beckett (Esq.)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barristermsmargaretbeckett@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 23:24:15 +0700
Subject: GREETINGS ////LETTER

BECKETT CHAMBERS
97 Lord Harrison Road, Thailand NW2 3PZ Bangkok.
From: Ms. Margaret Beckett (Esq.)

I am Barrister {Ms.} MARGARET BECKETT, personal Attorney to Late MR ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany (a citizen of Germany),Monday, 31 July, 2000, my client and his wife Maria Andrea and their daughter Andrea Eich, were involved in a Plane Crash (Alaska Airlines Flight 261) all passengers unfortunately lost their lives, since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my client's extended relatives but this proved unsuccessful. Since it is not compulsory that the Next-of-Kin must be a blood relation to the deceased, hence I contacted you, be informed that a Next-of-Kin can be
anybody, friends or organization etc.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm

Presently, the Bank where the deceased (my client) had a Deposit valued at
US$8,5000 000 Million issued me a notice to provide the Next-of-Kin to my
client to receive its benefit or have the account confiscated, so I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating this benefit left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank. To this effect, I now seek your consent to present you to the Bank as the Next-of-Kin of the deceased (my Client) so that the proceeds of this Benefit valued at US$8,5000 000 Million can be paid to you. After that, we can share it thus; 50% to me, 40% to you, while 10% should be given to any Orphanage Home.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me via E-mail with the below details immediately you acknowledge the good receipt of this message.
Full Name:
Full Address:
Tel Number:
Mobile Number:
Private Email:
Occupation and AGE:
Country of Origin:
Your prompt response is highly imperative. I need to hear from you urgently today.

Yours sincerely,
BARR. MS. MARGARET O. BECKETT (Esq.)
N/B ( margbeck@blumail.org )

Anti-fraud resources: