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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: "Mr. Ming Hung Chen" <ming@yahoo.co.hk>
Reply-To: chenming403@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:00:32 +0300
Subject: RE:BUSINESS PROPOSAL!!

Good day to you,

It is with good spirit of heart I opened up this great opportunity to you. My name is
Mr. Ming Hung Chen, I presently work as a Senior Accounts Director, Offshore Mortgage &
Services with Bank of China Limited. I Work as part of a bigger team that covers the
entire China region. I have taken pains to find your contact through personal
endeavours.

On routine audit check, I discovered an investment accounts that have been dormant for
the last 7yrs with monies totalling a little above (US$22 Million). Banking regulation/
legislation in China demand that I notify the fiscal authorities after a statutory time
period of 7yrs when dormant accounts of this type are called in by the monitory
regulatory bodies. The above fact underscores my reason of writing and making the
following proposal.

Upon my investigations of the said account reveals that the investor died in 2005 the
exact time the account was last operated, the said investor died as a result of heart-
related condition on March 12th 2005. His heart condition was due to the death of all
the members of his family in the tsunami disaster on the 26th December 2004 in Sumatra
Indonesia where they all lost their lives and no next–of–kin to his estate has been
found or has come forward all these years. I am of the settled conviction that using my
insider leverage, working with you can secure the funds in the account for us instead
of allowing it pass as an unclaimed fund into the coffer of the Chinese Government.
This is especially possible as you bear the same LAST NAME to the said investor, and
can stand as his extended relative. This exactly is why I crave your participation and
co-operation.

I have seized all relevant documents (Legal and Banking) including access to the very
account of the deceased. That will facilitate my fronting you as the claimant/sole
beneficiary of the decease estate/huge capital (US$22 Million) and ultimately transfer
the money to any account nominated by you.

Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these
funds, and as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily.
I would want us to keep communication for now strictly by my chinese email. Please,
again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not
without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing
ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter
of gold. This is one truth I have learnt from my private banking clients. Do not betray
my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please pardon
my writing mistakes and get back to me immediately with details below.

1. Full Name:
2. Contact Address:
3. Occupation:
4. Telephone:

I await your response.

Best Regards,
Mr. Ming Hung Chen
Snr.Accounts Director

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