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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: "Gehman Locher." <locherr@ciudad.com.ar>
Reply-To: locher@ciudad.com.ar
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:01:29 +0600
Subject: Important Information...From Gehman Locher.


Hello.

I am aware that this is an unconventional way of relaying an important
message such as this. I did try without success to locate both your contact
address or phone/fax number and as such, I resorted in contacting you via
email. I am Gehman Locher, An investment consultant working with Bank UBS
AG Zurich at their offshore department.

I will be happy to work this deal out with you if you have a corporate or
personal Bank Account and if you are capable to keep TOP SECRET. During one
of our beginning of year audit I discovered a dormant accounts with holding
balance of US$ 320,000.000.00 {Three Hundred And twenty million US Dollars
only} Sometimes a person will open a bank account, deposit money, and then
disappear into the tin air. Banks are not always able to find out what has
become of these silent customers, or to know whether they should follow up
on requests from people who claim to be heirs to the accounts. The main
problem is that the customer resides abroad and, due to bank secrecy, the
bank cannot publish notices in the international press to locate the
depositories. This has led the majority of Swiss banks to refrain from
opening small-deposit accounts for foreign customers; for fear that they
will forget that the account exists.

It has happened in the past, however, that customers pass away and their
heirs can neither prove the death, nor their heir ship. This was a frequent
occurrence during the wartime periods, and the banks have now set up a
simple, rapid resolution procedure operating to their customers’ advantage.
Dormant assets are defined as any assets deposited with a bank (i.e. an
account, a custody account or a safety-deposit box) for which there has
been no contact with the customer in the bank’s files for the last ten
years or more. If you believe you have claim to a Swiss bank account for
which the holder (e.g. an ancestor) has not been in contact with the bank
for over ten years, there is a fairly simple procedure to follow, depending
on the date the account was opened.

if you are not familiar with Swiss Dormant Accounts and profile, please
take a moment of your very busy schedules to read about Swiss dormant
accounts:

website; www.crt-ii.org/2001_list/publication_list1_A.phtm

I am constrained to issue more details about this business until your
response is received.

If you know that you are capable to handle large or small amount on trust
and can keep secret and ready to take 40% of any amount I transfer to your
account from the dormant accounts and I will take 60%, then get back to me
immediately with your details by return mail to my most private
email:locher@ciudad.com.ar Tell me more about yourself, while I look
forward to receive the above information.

I want to re-assure you that this business is risk free and you can send
an empty account to receive the funds, provided that the account is capable
to receive incoming funds, the transaction will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law.

Send also your private mobile phone number where I can reach you now.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Warmest regards,

Gehman Locher

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