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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: "Juan Domingo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <domingojuan@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:59:04 +0100
Subject: I proposed this to you

ESTUDIO JURIDICO CASTELLANA (EJC)
C/Caracas Nš 16-5-33B,
Madrid 28010 Spain.
 
Before I proceed, I must first apologize for this unsolicited mail to you. I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but I do have limited choice my name is Juan Domingo a Solicitor working with (Estudio Juridico Castellana) EJC with address: C/Caracas Nš 16-5-33B, Madrid 28010 Spain
 
My purpose of contacting you is for you to help me secure the funds deposited as a family valuables at a vault company here in Spain, to avoid it being confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Security vault company where this fund valued $ 7.3M (Seven Million, Three Hundred Thousand United State Dollars Only) is deposited by my late client, who served under US army before his death in Iraq. Hence the Vault Company has mandated me to present the heir/next of kin for claims. So I decided to search for any of my late client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper works of his deposit that are with me. 
 
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you to stand as the next of kin to my client as you have similar name with my late client, with my position as his lawyer, I will now appoint and recognize you as the heir. I will obtain every relevant document from the probate to facilitate your claim. Note that this process is not risky in any manner and it is completely legal but might not be justified morally. He was my private client, I will not like you to involve any third party in this transaction, just me and you. Besides I am doing this on my own personal capacity and do not wish to bring my office into it. Once the fund is released to you, I am proposing 40% of the total sum to you for your involvement. 10% would be set aside for any expenses that may occur during the transaction I would retain 50% for myself.
 
I would hold back certain information for security reasons for now until you confirm to me that you will assist me in this regard by replying to me via my private email address: domingojuan@aol.com for further clarification. Please be kind to get back to me, even if you are not interested so that I can further my search for another partner.
 
For you not to be surprise of this, I will like you to visit the BBC website stated below to enable you have an insight into what I intend sharing with you, believing that it would be of your desired interest one-way or the other.
 
Regards
 
Juan Domingo (ESQ)

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