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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: "MR ARTHUR RAMON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <arthurramon@live.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 06:07:45 -0700
Subject: READ VERY CAREFULLY AND GET BACK TO ME

>From The Desk of Arthur Ramon
TEL: + 34 632 177 588
FAX: +34 917 692 913
Email: arthurramon@live.com

Dear Beloved Friend,

I am Arthur Ramon, I work as an international auditor for the SNS Bank
in the Netherlands . I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate
of a deceased client with similar last name and an investment placed
under our banks management.

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail
confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as
a result of this mail. I contact you independently and no one is informed
of this communication. In 2003, the subject matter, Mr. Albert came to our
bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division.
He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of $8.35 million United
States dollars, which he wished to have us invest on his behalf. Based on
my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive
margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest
stood at this point at over $10 million United States Dollars.

His lawyer has just notified my department of the sudden death of the said
investor in a car crash and the lawyer has also asked us to check through our
records to see who his client may have indicated as next of kin to the investment,
since the fianc?s (Monica Van Hoi) who was indicated in his WILL as beneficiary
to most of his properties also died in the same car crash.

Findings and verification as auditor in the bank has led me to realize that the
investor has also named his fianc?s as next of kin to the $10 Million USD investment.
We have as yet not informed anyone of this because of the implications, the investor's
lawyer will obviously handover his properties including the investment to the government
which will in turn be shared amongst undeserving government officials. However, because
of the relevance of the sameness of your surname and you being a possible relative to
the late investor, we are making you this proposal since my boss and I can provide you
with much needed information to claim the investment.

You do not have to have known Alfred. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but
please trust me on this. For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in
half. In the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that the money
will revert back to the state. Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity
for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and as a Netherlands National we see so much cash
and funds being re-assigned daily. I would want us to keep communication for now strictly
by the above telephone, fax and email.

Please, again, note I am a family man, I have a wife and children. I send you this mail
not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing
ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter
of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not
betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, You are guaranteed that this will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law, as the funds did not originate from terrorism or drugs, but through inheritance.
Please kindly reply through my private email to confirm your full name, telephone
and fax number to enable us discuss and facilitate all due process regarding this
transaction.


Yours truly,
Arthur Ramon

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