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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: "Walter Ezidi ( Citizens Bank )" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <walter_ezidi@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:53:38 +0100
Subject: HELLO DEAREST, YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED

Dear,
 
I am Walter Ezidi. I work in the transfer Department of Citizens Bank Nigeria. I am writing to seek your cooperation over this business deal. In my department,I discovered an abandoned sum of (US$9,500,000.00)Nine Million,five hundred thousand United States Dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in a plane crash that took place in Kenya. The account belongs to the Late Dr.George Brumley Jr,a citizen of Atlanta,United States of America.
 
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin or business associate  to come and claim his money because it cannot be released unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or business associate to the deceased as indicated in our
banking guidelines but unfortunately,all his supposed next of kin or relation died along with him at the plane crash leaving  nobody behind for the claim. You  can read more about the crash by  visiting this site:
 
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html.
 
It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to your account as the next of kin or business associate. The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remain dormant after five years; the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request for your assistance and maximum co-operation as a foreign citizen is highly needed to release this fund. I agreed that 50% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, while 50% will be for me.
 
Please note that I don’t have any access to with draw any cent from this money due to that the money was insured by the owner Dr.George Brumley Jr. Please note that this transaction needs an absolutely trust and it is confidential. Send me  the following details below:
 
FULL NAMES:
HOME ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NO:
FAX NO:
OCCUPATION:
AGE:
MARITAL STATUS:
GENDER:
 
Please get back to me and I will send  you all the bank details of the transfer department and the phone number if you promise me that you will not take the money all for yourself and leave me here just like that.
 
Sincerely,
 
Walter Ezidi
Citizens Bank

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