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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: "Jason smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jasonsmith001js@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 09:54:50 +0100
Subject: Hello

Hello Sir

My name is Mr.Jason smith, I am the credit manager in a bank here in the United
Kingdom. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge sum of money from
a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make
any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything has been
taken care off, and This business will done legally. I decided to contact you
due to the urgency of this transaction. PROPOSITION; I am the account officer of
a foreigner named Richard Burson who died in an air crash along with his wife on
the 31st
October 1999 in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers on board. You can
confirm this from the website
below which was published by BBC WORLD NEWS. WEBSITE.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for this
money as his heir, because they all died in the same accident himself and his
wife (May their soul rest in peace). We cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated
in our banking guidelines.

Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of
kin to the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me
for the funds (£7,800,000.00) seven million eight hundred thousand pounds to
be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next of kin. Because if the
funds are unclaimed, the money will be called back to the bank treasury as
unclaimed bills and the money shared amongst
the directors of the bank. so it is on this note i decided to seek for whom his
name shall be used as the next of kin/beneficiary to this funds rather than
allow the bank directors to share this money amongst themselves at the end of
the year. It may interest you to know that we have secured from the probate an
order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries. Please
acknowledge receipt of this messagein acceptance of our mutual business
endeavor by furnishing me with the following information if you are interested.

1. A Beneficiary name..In order for me to prepare the document for transfer of
the funds in your name.
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and mutual trust
in each other. (50/50)share for both party 50% comes to my account and 50% to
your account.

I intend to retire after the conclusion of this transaction.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavor to contact me
immediately. Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I
await your urgent

Regards,

Mr.Jason smith

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