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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: "Paul Andrews" <info@gmail.com>
Reply-To: barr.paul.andrews11@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:27:08 +0800
Subject: personal email

This is a personal email directed to you I am Paul Andrews, a solicitor at
law. Mr. Robert, was my friend and I stood as his solicitor while he was
alive. Mr. Robert, was involved in an accident with his immediate family and
they all lost their lives.
After the death of Robert, I was informed by his account officer to make
contact with any of his extended family member that will stand in as the next
of kin to his estate. (9.8 million British Pound)

I have written several letters to the embassy with an intent to locate any of
his extended relatives whom shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned
personal estate and all such efforts have been to no avail. The board of
directors of the company just adopted a resolution and I was mandated to
provide his next of kin for the payment of this money within the next 15
official working days or forfeit the money as an abandoned funds.The company
had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of the company to
confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given me. Also I have
received official letters in the last two days suggesting a likely proceeding
for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws
of the institution.

Well I have reasoned very professionally and I can use a legal means to
present a next of kin of my deceased client. this is legally possible and
would be done in accordance with the laws of the land. On this note I decided
to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a similar last
name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with your consent, present you
to the "trustee" as my late client's family member so as to enable you put up
a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client. I find
this possible for the fuller reasons that you are of the same nationality and
you bear a similar last name with my late client making it a lot easier for
you to put up a claim in that capacity.

I think it is unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the government of
this country or some financial institution. My aim is to retrieve this fund,
for this I seek your assistance since I have been unable to locate the
relatives for the past 8years now.
I have all vital documents that would confer you the legal right to make this
claim and would make them available to you so that the proceeds of this bank
account valued at 9.8million can be paid to you before it gets confiscated or
declared unserviceable to the bank where this huge amount is lodged.

I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since
you have the same last name giving you the advantage so that the proceeds of
this account can be paid to you and then both of us can share the money.I
know there might be other persons out there with the same surname as my last
client, but after a little check my instinct tells me to contact you. Can I
trust you on this?I shall assemble all the necessary documents that will be
used to back up your claim.

Please get in touch with me by calling my numbers below or by my alternative
email:(barr.paul.andrews11@gmail.com) and send to me your,telephone and fax
numbers to enable us discuss further on this transaction.
Kind Regards.
Barrister Paul Andrews,

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