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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: "Li ClarK P." <fred.long@powhatan.k12.va.us>
Reply-To: palegebob@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2014 16:28:26 +0800
Subject:

Hi,
I am Mr. Li Clark the Learning and Development Manager at Hang Seng
Bank in China. I am contacting you regarding the estate of Alfred and
an investment placed under our bank's management 5 years ago. I want
to respectfully request you observe confidentiality for the integrity
of the information you come by henceforth. In 2005, the subject
matter, came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our
private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial
portfolio of 14.5M in USD 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 stood at this point over
10M in USD. In mid 2007, he instructed that the principal sum (14.5M)
be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring
cash payments in Hong Kong and China. We got in touch with a
specialist bank in Hong Kong, Fubon Bank who agreed to receive this
money for a fee and make cash available.
Fubon Bank Ltd. 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, I write you for this reason because
due to our code of conduct we are not allowed to show personal
interest on funds of this nature, I am also contacting you for the
fact that you are based abroad. More so, I got your email address
through the commerce of trade foreign division. What I propose is that
since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made the
beneficiary of these funds. 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 Fubon Bank
to make payments to you. You do not have to have known him. This might
look a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all your
troubles I propose that we split the money in half 50/50 each. In the
banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that the
money will revert back to the state as unclaimed. Nobody is getting
hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us and I hold the KEY to
these funds, and as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds
being re-assigned daily. Once again, kindly 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.My contact is
parkliclark@gmail.com
Thank you in anticipation.
Mr. Li Clark

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