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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: "Mr Katsuya Nakai" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <katsuya69nakai@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:21:36 +0100
Subject: Please Confirm Receipt!

HSBC BANK
kashi Hongoku-cho
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8660
Japan

Name: Mr. Katsuya Nakai
Email: katsuya69nakai@yahoo.co.jp

Attn:

I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise, Please accept the content
in good faith. I do not intend to cause any grief to you and your family. The
reason for sending this mail is very fundamental to the doctrine of human
privileges and right. My name is Mr Katsuya Nakai an account Auditor and the
personal Account officer to the deceased, who is also a national of your country
who died along with his wife and two sons in the Tube explosion between
Momochihama, Sawara-ku Fukuoka the northeastern part of the former Sawara-gun
here in Japan.

My client was a successful and is an accomplished family man, who made enough
fortune before his untimely death. Since then I had made several Inquiries
through your Embassy to locate any of my clients extended relative but this
exercise has proved unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided
to trace his relatives through the Internet, to locate any member of his family,
not much progress was recorded. My late client was an influential wealthy
businessman, and a consultant with the Japanese Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy here in Japan and he left behind a deposit of Twelve Million Two
Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only ($12.2Million USD).

After the death of my client the senior officials of my bank contacted me, as
his account officer to provide his next of kin who should inherit his funds. The
board of directors of my bank adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide
his next of kin for the payment of this money within 28 Working days or forfeit
the money to the bank as an abandoned property. My superior here in my bank had
planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds
after the expiration of the period given to me.

Fortunately, I came across your name, to my greatest astonishment; I discovered
that you and our late client are same nationals. Being convinced that you may be
related with my late client or that you might provide clue to my search, I
therefore, decided to contact with these facts before me, because of the
similarities. By virtue of my closeness to the deceased and his immediate
family, I am very much aware of my client financial standing and the bank
account he operates.

I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally proper to
present you as the next of kin of my deceased client, so that you can be paid
the funds left in his bank account. I therefore seek your consent to present you
as the Next of Kin to the Deceased since you are at an advantage, and equally
from the same country that the proceeds of this Bank Account valued at
US$12,200,000.00, (Twelve Million Two Hundred United state Dollars) can be paid
to you. We shall both share the funds. 55% for me and 40% to you, while 5%
should be for Expenses or your Government may require as Tax.

I shall assemble all the necessary Legal Documents that will be used to back up
your claim. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this
deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. Please get in touch
with me by email to enable us discuss further. I will be expecting to hear from
you.

Regards,
Mr. Katsuya Nakai

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