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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: "Barr. Thomas J. Leslie" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ndl12@mail.mn>
Date: Tue, 7 May 2013 02.04.47 +0200
Subject: INHERITANCE..

Hello dear!
This letter will definitely be amazing to you because of its realistic value. My name is Barr. Thomas J. Leslie. A personal attorney to my late client Mr. Floyd, a US Oil consultant/contractor with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources in West Africa. On Dec 19, 1998, Mr. Floyd Edward made a numbered timed (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$7,300,000.00 Million dollars in Central Bank of Nigeria Upon maturity, and then the bank sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, I sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, that Mr. Floyd died from an automobile accident.
On further investigation the bank found out that he died without making a will. And all attempts to trace his next of kin from the record in the foreign payment redialed disk, then we saw your email address and your name, which is why I contacted you to stand in as the next of kin to Mr. Floyd, so that the fruits of this old man's labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials there in Nigeria. I am particularly interested in securing this money from the Bank, because they have issued a notice instructing my chamber to produce the beneficiary of this Will within two weeks which happens to be you or else the money will be credited to their Government treasury as per law in their country. It is my utmost desire to execute the WILL of my late client to you, hence I will be entitled to 30% of this money once is transferred to any of your designated official bank account.Agree???
Finally, if you are willing get this Inheritance Funds, reconfirm the following data’s immediately: Your Names - Direct telephone Numbers - occupation - Your Delivery address and any form of identification to the processing and legal office via my direct Email: ( j_meier@aol.com). Your prompt response to the above directive is highly imperative.
Yours sincerely,
THOMAS J. LESLIE
2207 state highway 1662,
Olive Hill, Kentucky, 41164, USA
#606-286-4909

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