joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: Ge Yucheng <ge823782@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: youce92873@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:50:09 -0500
Subject: Person Business Opportunity Your Urgent Reply IS Needed!!



Dear Friend,

Let me start by introducing myself, I am Mr. GE YUCHENG, Non-executive
Director of the Bank of China, China. I have an obscured Business
suggestion for you.

In 2002, a businessman and also was a Major Gen with the Iraqi forces
(Major Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush) came to our bank and made a Fixed
(Numbered) deposit of Thirty Million United State Dollars
(US$30,000,000.00) Only in my branch for 12 calender months. Upon
maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but
got no reply. A month later, we sent a reminder and finally we
discovered that he died along with his wife and only daughter during
the war in a bomb blast that hit their home during the war in Iraq in
2003. I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts
to trace his next of kin was fruitless.

After proper further investigations, it was also discovered that he
did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the
paper work of his bank deposit and he also confided in me the last
time he was in my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in
my bank. So, Thirty Million United State Dollars is still lying in my
bank and no one will ever came forward to claim it. What bothers me
most is that according to Laws of Malaysia, at the expiration of Ten
(10) years the funds will revert to the ownership of the Malaysian
Government if nobody applies to claim the funds. Against this scenery,
I have all the information needed to claim these funds and I want you
to act as the beneficiary of the deposit, there is no risk involved in
this matter, as we are going to adopt a legitimate method and the
attorney will prepare all the necessary documents.

I have evaluated the risks, and the only risk I have here is for you
refusing to work with me and alerting my bank. I am the only one who
knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a name that
has planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Please
endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this
issue. Once the funds have been transferred to your nominated bank
account we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, and 50% for you. I
send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what 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. Please observe this instruction religiously.

All I require is your honest co-operation and I guarantee that this
will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you
from any breach of the law. Please accept my apologies and keep my
confidence.

Considering the money involved, and due to the nature of this
transaction, it is necessary for you to be sure of whom you are
transacting with. I want to be sure that you are ready, to execute
this transaction with me, What I expect from you is trust and
commitment, I want this large sum of money transferred with your
assistance and you should have nothing to worry about regarding
legality AT ALL, because what affects you Shall also affects me too,
considering the paper work we are about to sign together but, I will
appreciate you to follow my directives amicably as everything shall be
done in accordance passing through all international banking laws, and
as a banker I know that if we follow up this transaction diligently it
would be completed within 9 working days.

Please get back to me only if you are interested so that my attorney
can start the paper works and re profile the documents to your names.
You can reach me on; youce92873@yahoo.com.hk

Kind Regards,

Ge Yucheng.

Anti-fraud resources: