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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: "Barr Christopher Adams,(SAN)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barrister.larry12@ymail.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:25:39 +0100
Subject: Hello

Attention:

Top of the day to you. How are you doing today? I trust that you and your entire family are in good condition.

What is happening? I have been seriously looking forward to hear back from you, so that I can tell the bank Representative who is in charge of the transfer of your $5,000,000,00 but since then I have not heard back from you. I have been contacted to stand for you as your lawyer. So that your your can be remitted into your personal account in the next 24 hours. But since then I have not heard back from you. What is happening?

I really need to know what the way forward. Because the bank have been updating me in regards of the transfer.

I really have a lot of case file on my desk. If I did not hear back from you in the next 10 hours from now. I will close your file case, and it will be kept in abandon file. Since you have decide not to get back to me. I will advice you update me as soon as possible. Let me furnish you with the update that I just receive from the Bank Manager in regards the transfer of your fund.

I really want to make sure that you start making use of your fund before the end of this week. I know that you have a lot of responsibility to take care of. I really want to make sure that I put a smile on your face. As soon as I hear back from you. I will send you my Credential as lawyer. Then I will also let you know the step step to take so that your fund will be in your account.

Your prompt response will be highly appreciated by me. Thank you for your understanding.
Barr Christopher Adams,(SAN)

Anti-fraud resources: