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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: "SHERIF OBEN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sherif.oben@globomail.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:49:42 -0800
Subject: YOURS FAITHFULLY.

SHERIF OBEN 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 SHERIF OBEN, 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 ,

SHERIF OBEN

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