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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: Edward Eric <edwarderic008@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:44:31 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Marja Kindly Read Details And Fill The Form.


Hello Dear Marja Hellemons,

How are you? I have received your email reply and I understand your concern and consider it expedient to give you the details of this transaction. The main reason why I contacted you is because I have been given a mandate by Banque Sahelo where this money is deposited that this money will be confiscated into their government treasury as per the law here if I do not provide to them the next of kin to this money and I do not want that to happen to this money all I need from you is your honest co-operation so I can present you to the bank as the next of kin to my late client.
 
I also understand that you may or may not directly be a family of my late client, but by virtue of your last name, you qualify. I shall therefore present you to the bank because it has become urgent to do so since bank has issued me a mandate and apparently because you are the only relative I can lay credence to. I have no doubt whatsoever that you are capable to handle this transaction which is risk free and I want to make it knowledgeable to you that our laws and constitution is very clear on transfer of estate of a deceased person to a next of kin. My late client whose sad event occurred on 28th of September 2008 by car accident, died intestate (without living a WILL pronouncing who should inherit his estate). Because of this vacuum, you shall come in between as the next of kin to my deceased client and this transaction is legitimate and in essence it will undergo normal procedures as stipulated in the finance and allied matters act.
 
Late Engineer PAUL ARTHUR HELLEMONS was born on 21st April, 1948. He was a government contractor and a business man here and later formed an oil servicing company. You must understand that in the finance industry chances or opportunities like this are common but not heard. People put their monies in finance companies and some of these accounts are either coded or confidentially operated, therefore when such people die what do you think that happens to these monies when nobody comes for their claims? Well, this is one of the numerous avenues good "free" monies are made within and among the bank officials. I was privy to the US$9.6 Million fixed term deposit transaction and since the fixed deposit is ready now, I present you as the beneficiary/claimant to the remitting bank.

 You will be entitled to 50% of the total fund at the conclusion of the transaction, 10% will go to Charity organizations and 40% of the money will be mine because I will provide all the information that will make the bank release the money to you and also for my services. Three days after you confirm the money in your account I will come over to your country for disbursement/sharing of the fund according to the agreed percentage. My coming to your country will be after you received the transfer because I will have to remain here to monitor the transfer until it gets to your bank account. I shall visit your country in company of my beloved wife Madam Cynthia and I hope we can get a good reception from you?

  Right now, I am sending to you the APPLICATION LETTER that you will fill and send to the bank for the commencement of the payment processing. You should carefully study the application letter, type it in your letter head paper or otherwise, sign and then send me a copy first to confirm if okay before you send it to the bank for approvals and subsequent payment of the fund to you as you may wish.

 So kindly study this draft APPLICATION LETTER carefully and type as directed and send me a copy first by e-mail attachment then upon my receipt and confirmation, I will send you a copy of the DEATH CERTIFICATE to also forward to the bank alongside your filled application letter for commencement of the transaction.

 Thank you for your kind understanding and I shall be waiting for the filled application letter for further verifications...
 
 Thanks for your letter. You can reach me on my office telephone on: +22898444878.

Attorney Edward Eric Esq.
Principal Attorney:-
Messrs Edwards & Co. Chambers.
Attorneys & Solicitors
Public Notary Lome-TOGO West Africa.
BTD/SORT-CD-00247901.
Tel:
+22898444878.

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