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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: Barrister Luke Mensah <barrister.lukemensahh0@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 11:21:25 -0700
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT REPLY.

Attention: Friend, I am Barrister Luke Mensah Esq, a solicitor at law, personal attorney to Mr. D. George ,a national of your country, who used to here in Accra as a contractor and also as a business man. On the 21st of April 2008, my client involved in a car accident along Aflawoe expresses Road with his family. All occupants of the vehicle including his wife and only child lost their lives. Since then i have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of his extended relatives, which proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his name and last name via the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence i contacted you. I am contacting you to assist in transferring the fund valued at US$12.5 million left behind by my client into your account in your country before it gets confiscated by the Security Finance Firm where it was deposited. The Security Finance Firm has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin to my client or his account shall be declared dormant or confiscated. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, i hereby seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this fund can be paid to your account. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Send to me the following information’s:- 1. Your full name 2. Your home and office address 3. Your telephone and fax number 4. Your age and sex 5. Your occupation 6. Your passport or id card copy Please get in touch with me through my private e-mail address: barrister.lukemensahh@gmail.com for more details and procedure. REPLY TO: barrister.lukemensahh0@gmail.com Best regards, Barrister Luke Mensah, Senior Advocate of Hesse Larsey & Associate Accra Ghana, West Africa Region.

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