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: "Mrs. Helen Crawford" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ladyhelecrawfordloves@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 10:40:23 +0800
Subject: My Last Wish

Hello Beloved,

I'm Mrs. Helen Crawford resident in Penang, Malaysia suffering from Leukemia. I was married to Mr. William Crawford a Malaysia base shipping tycoon notable for his great wealth, influential extended family and charitable activities all his life before his death. My husband died after a protracted illness in October 7th, 2009. Our life together as husband and wife lasted for about two and a half decades without a child.

My late husband and I made a vow to uplift the down-trodden and the less-privileged individuals in the society, as we both had passion for those people who cannot help themselves due to physical disability or financial predicament. I can adduce the fact that, we needed a Child from our marriage which never came. When my late husband was alive, he invested in stocks the sum of Forty Million United States dollars ($40,000,000.00), which he derived from his vast investment in capital market with a Security Company here in Malaysia and named me as the sole beneficiary of this trust funds upon his demise (all records are kept with my family lawyer).

Presently, the funds are still with the Security Company.

Just yesterday, my Doctor told me that I have limited days to live, due to the Leukemia problems that I have been suffering from. What bothers me most is the Hypoglycemia that I have in addition with the Leukemia. With the hard reality that has befallen me, I have decided to donate the funds to you and I want you to use the gift which comes from my late husband effort to establish a charity Foundation called "Crawford's Orphanages and Children's Homes" for the upkeep of widows, orphans, destitute, the down- trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially around you, as it is often said that blessed is the hand that giveth.

I took the bold decision to contact you, because I do not have any child to inherit the money and my late husband relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy persons that will misuse and invest the money into ill perceived ventures if willed to them, instead of helping the poor in a worthy manner.

I do not need any telephone communication in this regard, due to my deteriorating health and also because of the presence of my husband relatives around me, as I am currently bedridden in my husband Family house here in Georgetown, Penang and do not receive any visitors unless approved by my late husband immediate younger brother and I do not want him or the rest of the family members to know about this development, in order to safeguard this bequest.

So, I want you to immediately Contact my family lawyer Barrister Paul Wesley (barrpaul_lawfirm@hotmail.com) and tell him that I have willed the funds to you by quoting my personal reference number Law/chamber/solicitor/rt/cfd/WILL/my/983/7520212, as I have today earlier authorized him to issue a Letter of Authority in your favor to the Security Company handling the stocks as soon as you contact him. He will also endorse my WILL, where you will be named as the sole beneficiary of the trust funds. Please ensure to provide to him, all that he may require to finalize the arrangement, and make sure you maintain a confidential and cordial relationship with him even in my absence, because he is a very trust worthy and caring person.

My happiness today is that, my life is worthy of emulation and I want you to do the same too, by been kind hearted all through your life. Please, remember to put me in your daily prayers, because it is what i need the most right now.

With Love,
Mrs. Helen Crawford.

Anti-fraud resources: