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: erick backs <drerickbacks@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:58:07 +0000
Subject: FROM DR- ERICK BACKS


>From Dr. Erick Backs I am Dr Erick Backs from Harlesden, North West London, here in England.I work with UBS Investment Bank. I am writing you from my office thatwill be of an immense benefit to both of us. In my department, beingthe head of distressed debt research, I discovered an abandoned sum of£15, 400.000.00 (Fifteen Million four hundred thousand Great BritishPounds) in an account that belongs to Mr., Stephen Richard, anAmerican business man who lost his life in a plane crash along withhis entire family. The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical natureof where you live, particularly due to the sensitivity of thetransaction, and the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has beenwaiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobodyhas done that. I personally have been unsuccessful in locating therelatives since I resumed office, I seek your consent to present youas the next of kin /Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that theproceeds of this account valued at (Fifteen Million four hundredthousand Great British Pounds) can be paid to you. This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages, 60% to me and40% to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can beused to back up this claim we are making. All I need is to fill inyour names to the documents and legalize it in the court here to proveyou as the legitimate beneficiary. All I require now is your honestCo-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see thistransaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed undera legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of thelaw. Please provide me the following: as we have a few days to run itthrough. This is very URGENT PLEASE. 1. Full Name2. Your Mobile phone Number3. Your Residential address4. Your Age: This information will enable me to upload your data into our bankdatabase to reflect in the bank network system that you are the namednext of kin/will beneficiary of this fund, and I will guide you on howto open communication with the bank and make the claims for onwardtransfer of the funds to your bank account in your country, pleasenote that we have few days to carry out this deal, Your kind and rapidresponse will be highly appreciated. When I have received the required information I shall furnish you withdue process of concluding this transaction without any delay. Regards, Erick--Ds e-mail is confidential and contains privileged information. If uare not d intended recipient, u should not copy, distribute, discloseor use the information it contains. Please e-mail d sender immediatelyand delete such message from your system. E-mails are susceptible tocorruption, interception and unauthorized amendment; I do not acceptliability for any such changes or for its consequences."In thee OhLord I put my trust, never allow me to be confounded"

Anti-fraud resources: