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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: "ramseyandcosolicitors" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alfredworsley4ramseysolicitors@live.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:14:47 +0100
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE.


RAMSEY & CO SOLICITORS UK.
125 OSBOURN SQUARE,
LONDON SE4 8EX
UNITED KINGDOM

ALFRED WORSLEY
Tel: +44 746 655 8840
Fax: +44 870 495 8143
E-mail:alfredworsley4ramseysolicitors@live.co.uk

Dear Sir/Madam,

Before I proceed I must first apologize for this unsolicited mail to you, I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize the need for my action. My name is Alfred Worsley of RAMSEY & CO SOLICITORS. Actually, I got your contact information through the U.S.A public records while searching for a last name similar to my Late client Eng. PEDRO,(last name withheld for security purpose) an expatriate Engineer who worked with the Mining and Smelting Company (Asturiana de Zinc S.A.) in Spain, for Thirteen years, he died along with his family during the Tsunami catastrophe, which occurred on Monday 27 December 2004.

Before his death; he deposited One Trunk Box/Diplomatic Personal Treasure, containing the sum of $14.8M (FOURTEEN MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) with a security company here in the Uk, but he did not disclose the exact content of deposited diplomatic box to the security company, for security reasons.
The security company have mandated me to present a member of his family(heir/inheritor) to make Claims, before the box gets confiscated and reverts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, as unclaimed. So I decided to search for any of my late client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper for his diplomatic box.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you to stand as the next of kin to Eng. PEDRO.(surname withheld for security purposes)
By virtue of my position as his lawyer, I will now place your name as the next of kin to my late client. I will prepare every relevant document that will assist your claims, and facilitate the release of the consignment.

Note that this transaction is 100% risk free; there is no atom of risk connected to this business as I have worked out all modalities to complete the transaction successfully. Once the diplomatic consignment is released to you, we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 50% for you as your benefit. Reply via my email address or you can send me a fax for further clarification. Please be kind to get back to me if you are not interested so that I can further my search for another partner.

Best Regards

Barrister ALFRED WORSLEY.
RAMSEY & CO SOLICITORS UK



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