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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: "Raymond Randall" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <raymondrandall2@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:18:08 -0800
Subject: Friend Reply Immediately.

Good day,

It is with great pleasure and delight that I want to introduce a business
venture to you, which I suppose you may be willing and interested to
participate, as it is deemed total risk-free. First of all, my name is Mr.
Raymond Randall and I am the Risk and Verification Manager, Foreign Remittance
Department, African Development Bank, London.

Through my constant research and vetting, we have come across the sum of
US$20,500,000.00 (Twenty Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
Only) which has been lying in our bank for several years now without claim. It
was later discovered by myself that the account hold and his next of kin (his
wife) died in the TWA Flight 800 plane crash on July 17, 1996.We have tried to
contact other legitimate relative to claim this funds for several years now,
but to no avail, as we cannot release it unless somebody applied for its next
of Kin or Relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking procedure.
Unfortunately nobody has come forward to claim the money.

I want you to purportedly present your good self as the next of Kin or relation
of the deceased so that we can prepare documentations and release the funds
(US$20.5 Million) into your account for safety and subsequent disbursement
since nobody is coming for it and again we do not want the funds to go into the
Governments account as "Unclaimed Bill".

The banking law and procedures herein stipulates that any account abandoned or
dormant for a period of some years is subjected to be closed and all money
contained therein will be forfeited to the Government Treasury Account. Now it
is being speculated that the above sum will be transferred into Government
Treasury Account as unclaimed funds on or before the ending of this month 2010. The reason for
you to present your good self as the next of kin in occasioned by the fact that
the deceased customer was a foreigner.

It is also important for you to know that 40% of the total funds will be for
you. In support of the aforementioned, you are urged to reply this letter
indicating your readiness and interest to participate in the business. After
you reply, you will be advised on the next step forward.

If you are however skeptical and do not want to participate in this business
transaction, please disregards this email.

Reply me through my private email: raymondrandall2@aol.com
Telephone Number +447045770149
Yours truly,

Mr. Raymond Randall



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