joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "SNS BANK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <snsbank01@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:58:17 +0200
Subject: WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU

Dear friend,

I am Khan Fredricks the credit manager of SNS Bank Laison Office,Madrid Spain.with headquaters located in the NETHERLANDS. I have a proposalto discuss about a late family members Fixed account in the bank.
The SNS Bank Nv is currently in possession of an amount of US$10,500,000.00 belonging to a deceased customer whose name is not stated in this mail due to our Bank's privacy policies which protects the safety of our client's information.Our contact to you is based on the fact that our search revealed your last name as been same with that of the Deceased.
Our records for this huge deposit showed no beneficiary as at the time of death of the depositor. In view of this and my position as the head of payment of benefits to beneficiaries,your last name can be accepted for a relative/beneficiary to this huge amount of money.
Further details will be sent to you on this as soon as you signify your interest by sending to me immediately your full name as it is in your driver's license or international passport, your mobile telephone number, your fax number (if confidential) and your present contact address all needed for the legal documentation of this claim.
On receipt of your response with the above details, i shall update you with the procedures of payment of this said amount to you as the legitimate beneficiary.

Yours Sincerely,
John Schot.



Anti-fraud resources: