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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: "Xin Wei" <XinWei@mail.com>
Reply-To: xinweionline@qq.com
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:43:30 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Hello

Hello ,

I am Xin Wei, Principal Assurance manager for the Guangdong Development
Bank in Hong Kong. I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of
a client of mine Mr Alfred and an investment placed under our bank's
management 7 years ago. I would respectfully request that you keep the
contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the
information you come by as a result of this message. I contact you
independently and no one is informed of this communication. In 2005,
Alfred came to our bank to engage in business discussion with our private
banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of
85.3 million United States dollars, which he wished to have invested on
his behalf.

Based on my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and
made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrue
profit and interest stood at this point at over 20 million United States
Dollars. In mid 2005, he instructed that the principal sum (18.35M) be
liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash
payments in Hong Kong. We got in touch with a specialist bank, called the
Shenzhen Development Bank also in Hong Kong who agreed to receive this
money for a fee and make cash available to Alfred. However, surprisingly
Shenzhen Development Bank got in touch with us last year that this money
has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that Alfred was
involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died intestate.
He has no next of kin and the reason I am writing you is because you seem
to share the same last name as the deceased. This is subject to
confirmation when you respond to this message.
What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will
be made the beneficiary of these funds. After all due protocols has been
observed, my bank will contact you informing you that money has been
willed to you. On verification, which will be the details I make available
to my bank, my bank will instruct Shenzhen Development Bank to make
payments to you.
You do not have to have known him. I know this might be a bit heavy for
you but please trust me on this. For all your troubles I propose that we
split the money in half. In the banking circle this happens every time.
Otherwise, the other option is that the money will revert back to the
state. 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.

However, please take note that the claim of ours will be subject to
verification, but I will ensure that you are duly guided by me. You have
nothing to fear. 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 t 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 the one truth I have learned 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. Get back to me immediately via
confidential email address:( xinweionline@qq.com )

I await your soonest response, after which I will furnish you with the
further way to go. Please forgive me for my English language when we speak
on telephone. It is very not fluent while speaking.

Xin Wei.

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