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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: Official Gazzette <officialgazzette@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: cordwell.williams@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:45:36 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSEBLE



CORDWELL WILLIAMS AND ASSOCIATES LEGAL CHAMBERS. 
Bankruptcy Law,
Estate Planning, Family Law,Immigration
 Probate &
Estate Administration And Wills Law.
     HEAD
OFFICE: 24 JALAN JATI OFF BU-KIT BIN TAG 
        55100 KUALA LUMPUR
MALAYSIA.
                                 

 
Dear sir,
 
I
crave your indulgence to inform you of my desire of going into business
relationship with you. I got your contact from a computerize data following my
effort searching for the last name ,a trustworthy person to assist me in an
inheritance claim of $ 4 million.
 
My name is Barrister Cordwell
Williams, I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Ken who executed two different
contracts totalling USD $ 4 MILLION in Malaysia.
My late client, Late Mr
Ken   ...... was in verge of nominating his bank account where the $4 million
will be transferred, a purpose for which he traveled to his Native country
Sendai Japan to open an account, unfortunately for him, he was a victim of the
catastrophic earth quake and tsunami that occurred in Japan.
 
Since I
confirmed he was dead, and knowing him fully well as orphan he has no wife, no
relatives who knows his whereabouts or about the contracts, I decided to track
his last name on the Internet; basically to locate any person who bear similar
name with him, hence I contacted you.
 
 I have  contacted you to assist
me in recovering the Fund valued at {USD$ 4 Million} Four   Million United state
Dollars, executed contract fund that was approved in favor of my late client,
Being the proposed payment for the contract he executed with the Federal
ministry of Finance Malaysia  here before his untimely death in Japan on 11th of
March 2011 .
 
The Bank has issued me being his lawyer a notice to provide
the next of kin to late Ken  or have the fund confiscated within the next three
Weeks of official working days.
So I seek your consent to present you as the
next of kin to late Ken since you bear similar surname that will prove you
without doubt his relative, so that the proceeds of this contract fund can be
paid to you.
 
Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall
then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for the transfer. I have all
necessary information needed to back you up the claim. All I required from you
is your honesty and maximum co-operation to enable us see that this transaction
goes successfully. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
 
Finally,
your TELEPHONE/FAX numbers, YOUR AGE & OCCUPATION   and your land mailing
address are urgently needed for easy communication on the commencement
modalities of this claim.
 
I await your feedback.
 
BARRISTER ,
Cordwell
Williams

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