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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: "Christopher Wolfe" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lstringer57@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:06:15 -0400
Subject: Partnership deal

Christopher J. Wolfe
Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Private Banking and Investment Group
Bank Of America
Private Tell: +1 707-722-7184
            
My Dear Good Friend,
 
I know my contact with you may be surprising since we have not met, but it is borne out of my sincere desire to establish a mutual business relationship with you. I got your contact through my personal research on the internet believing God that you shall be a reliable and trustworthy foreign partner who can be of good assistance to me, and out of desperation I decided to contact you.
 
My name is Christopher J. Wolfe Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Private Banking and Investment Group
Bank Of America. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described here-under for our both mutual benefit and hope you will keep it a top secret because of the nature of the transaction. In early 2001, I assisted a client (Mr Takashi Kinoshita) a Japanese born businessman to move investment funds in sum of US$47million from Fuji Bank and Industrial Bank of Japan to deposit in Bank Of America, for a seven (7)-year safe-keeping period.
 
Unfortunately Mr Takashi died few months later in the Sept9/11 terrorist attack on the twin tower in New-York (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0XPQ/is_2001_Oct_1/ai_79581097/), and the ten-years safe-keeping period of the deposit of the$47m has expired since.
 
And up till date, our bank has not received any signal from any relative/next-of-kin of Mr Takashi for claiming of the $47m, as he did not fill in any relative/next-of-kin at the time Mr Takashi was completing the deposit form. Now our Bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that. As  Mr Takashi Investment Officer at the time of deposit I took it upon myself in locating any of his relatives for 10 years now which has been unsuccessful, as I am getting close to retirement I sincerely seek your consent to present you as the next of kin / Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at {$47million} can be paid to you, which we will share in these percentages ratio, 60% to me and 40% to you.
 
It is on this note that I decided to contact you so that I can present your name to our bank as Mr Takashi's next-of-kin, so that you and I can immediately claim the funds . All the funds deposit documents are with me and other secret information that will be needed for the collection and movement of funds
 
I choose you because of Geographical location of your country and your address from a business directory here in United States chamber of commerce, all that I require from you is your sincere co-operation,trust and utmost confidentiality to enable us conduct this transaction successfully. I assure you that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law both in your country and here in the United States once the fund is transferred to your Bank account. Upon your consideration and acceptance of this offer, please proceed immediately and send to me the following information. Your Full Name, Your Contact Address & Your direct Mobile telephone Number, Your Age.
will be highly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation for your prompt response. This information will enable me to upload your data into the Bank database to reflect in the Bank network system that you are the named next of kin/will beneficiary of this fund and I will guide you on how to open communication with the Bank and make the claims for onward transfer of the fund to you, please note that we have few days to carry out this deal, Your kind rapid response through my personal email : lstringer57@aol.com
Regards,
 
Christopher J. Wolfe

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