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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: "Mr Wang Yi" <wangyi@asia.com>
Reply-To: wang-yi@gmx.com
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 23:11:08 -0000
Subject: INHERITANCE




From The Desk: Mr. Wang Yi
Tel: +85281926121
Date: 13th Of September, 2013




Dear Sir or Madam,

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this letter
confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a
result of this letter. I contact you independently and no one is informed
of this communication. My names are Wang Yi- Chief Finance Officer with
Shenzhen Development Bank (SDB) Hong Kong; I have asked a friend coming to
the UK and USA for holiday to post this letter on my behalf. I am getting
in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client with similar
last name and an investment placed under our banks management.

In 2001, My Client came to our bank to engage in business discussions with
our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial
portfolio of $28.35 million United States Dollars, which he wished to have
us invest 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 accrued profit and interest plus capital stood at this
point at over 32 million United States Dollars. In mid-2002, he instructed
that the principal sum (28.35M) be liquidated because he needed to make an
urgent investment requiring cash payments. We got in touch with a
specialist bank namely Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) who
agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to my
client. However Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) got in touch
with us last year that this money has not been claimed. On further
enquiries we found out that my client was involved in an accident in
mainland China. He has no next
of kin, which means he died intestate and the reason I am writing you is
because you are namesakes sharing the same last name.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will
be made the beneficiary of these funds. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation (SMBC) 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, Shenzhen Development Bank will be instructed to make payments
to you after all the necessary verification and application is done. You
do not need to have known my late client. 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.
The other option is that the money will revert back to the state after the
stipulated time span.

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. I would want us to keep communication for
now strictly by the above telephone and email.

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 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 get back to me immediately via the email, telephone or fax
number above.

I await your response.
Mr Wang Yi

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