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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: "Barrister Uba Tony" <ubatony1@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:55:03 +0800
Subject: ATTENTION:SIR/MADAM,

UBA TONY CHAMBERS,
LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND PUBLIC NOTARY
AND HIGH COURT REPRESENTATIVE
301-302 BONNY CRESCENT
VICTORIA ISLAND,LAGOS NIGERIA.

ATTENTION:SIR/MADAM,

I hope this meets you in good health. My name is Barrister Uba Tony
legal practitioner and Attorney to late Mr.Steve moore.who died in the
plane crash of Yak-40 jetliner on March 9, 2000.You may follow the link
below to read about the plane crash where my client lost his life:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/672849.stm My late client was an
influential wealthy businessman,an Engineer Contractor in my Country and
a Russian Oil dealer and the Principal ownerof Oil Alliance Company.

He left behind a deposit of Twenty Seven Million,United States
Dollars($27,000,000.USD) in his domiciliary bank account in a commercial
bank here in Nigeria Which is one of the main reasons it has been very
important to locate his next of kin.After the death of my client his
bankers contacted me,as his Attorney to provide his next of kin who
should inherit hisfortune. The board of Directors of his bank adopted a
resolution and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment
of this money or forfeit the money to
the bank as an unclaimed fund.

The bankers had planned to invoke a clause in the property Act, to
confiscate the funds after the expiration of a period given to me.I came
across your name, while trying to locate documentation'sregarding
possible relatives of my client in his country of origin and convienced
that you may be able to act in locus for my late client as his next of
kin.
I therefore, decided to contact you with these facts before me because
of the status quo.By virtue of my brief and my closeness to
deasedthe,iam very much aware of my client's financial standing and the
bank account operates here in my country.

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 and the sole
beneficiary of his estate, so that you can be paid the funds left in his
bank account. I seek your consent to present you as the Next of
Kin;the bank needs only the facts as presented legally.The rest is
between you and I and with my guide we can have the money paid into your
account, once this is done we shall both share the funds.

50% to me and 40% to you, while 10% should be for Taxes as your
Government may require, I shall assemble all the necessary legal
documents that will be used to back up our claim.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see is transaction
through,I assure you that this transaction will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of law.

Best Regards,
Barrister Uba Tony (Esq).

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