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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: "Law Office" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <consultantlawoffice.chamberrr@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:17:38 -0000
Subject: SECOND NOTIFICATION ( I NEED YOUR URGENT RESPONSE)

GARDEN COURT CHAMBERS,
57- 60 Lincoln 's Inn Fields,
London WC2A 3LJ.
Attention: Please,
I am Barrister James Oliver, I am the personal attorney to my late client, a National of your country, and he is known and referred to as my Client. On 10/04/ 2010, when my late client, his wife and kids were killed in the PLANE CRASH which happen outside the city of Smolensk, in western Russia.
Please kindly find details of this incident at the web link
below:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5452628,00.html
I have made several inquires to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but all my efforts proved unsuccessful.
After these unsuccessful attempts failed, I decided to track his last name in the Internet to locate any member of his family or his national hence I contacted you. My contact to you is to assist me in repatriating my late client's money which he deposit in a Bank here in UK, before the account and his properties he left behind will be confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank where he deposit this money valued $12.8million.
More importantly, the Bank where the deceased client deposited these huge sums of money has served me a write of notice to provide the NEXT OF KIN of my client or the account will be confiscated.
I have tried and failed on several occasions in locating his relatives I am now seeking for your consent to present you as the next of kin the deceased since you have the same last name with him, so that the money in his account will be paid to you while I will come over to your country for the sharing. I will take 45% while you will take 40%.and 15% will be donated to the less privileged and charity organization.
I have all the necessary legal documents that can be use to backup any claim we may want. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Finally, if this business interests you, please get in touch with me immediately. Also provide me with the information below to enable me commence to get all legal document that will back up the claim.
1. Your full names:
2. Your residential address:
3. Your telephone and Fax Number:
4. Your age and marital status.
5. Your occupation.
Let me here from you once you acknowledge my email.
Regards,
James Oliver
Attorney at law (Esq.)

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