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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: "Julie Thompson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <atlas_vault_uk@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 19:44:46 +0800
Subject: [GSN Suspected Spam] DONATION FOR YOU.

Dear Beneficiary,
 
I am sure this mail will come to you as a surprise since we have never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to chose you amongst the numerous internet users but consider it  a divine intervention for I saw your profile on the Internet which has made me accomplish my request. May the almighty God bless and see you through with this mission as you carefully read and understand the message below.
 
My name is Mrs Julie Thompson, 89 Years old woman and the wife of Late Eng.  Ernest Thompson who died in a Plane crash in September 1998 while flying from New York to Geneva. Please see site for more information.  (  http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html  )
After the death of my husband I became the Head of his investments but now that I am old and weak I have decided to spend the rest of my life with my family and loved ones whom I never had time for during the course of my business life. Before the death of my husband we had plans to utilize the last days of our lives to donate half of our wealth to the less privilege and charity homes and the other half for ourselves, family members and close friends but it is very unfortunate that my husband is not alive today to do this with me hence I have decided to do this philanthropic work on behalf of my late husband and I. Presently i have willed out almost half of our assets to several charity homes and to some of the less privilege in different countries.
 
Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the poor, we also agreed to render support to an individual we have never meet before in life due to the fact that when we were still young in life we receive an anonymous financial assistance from an individual we did not know and which we have not being able to know or meet again till date, the impact we got from such gesture made us want to do same. I am sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance to know me because I have just concluded the assignment which my husband and I have agreed upon before his sudden death and you happened to be the beneficiary of our last WILL, irrespective of your previous financial status, hence I need you to do me a favor by accepting our offer.
Due to the fact that i promised my late husband to make this donation anonymous, I deposit $2.5 Million dollars cash packaged in a consignment Box with Atlas Security Company England United Kingdom so that they will deliver the cash to you as soon as you make contact with them.  For your information I have already paid the delivery charge and the Anti - Terrorist Clearance Certificate of the funds showing that it will not be used to sponsor Terrorists so the only money you are expected to pay is 185 Pounds which is for the security / safe keeping of the consignment so far, I would have paid the fee but the company insisted that I should not because they do not know when you will be contacting them.
 
The security keeping code is (ATLAS/LN/00192) for verification so Kindly re-confirmed your Full Names, delivery address and Telephone Number to enable the immediate release/delivery of the consignment box to your address within 24 hours.
 
COMPANY NAME : ATLAS SECURITY COMPANY LONDON
MANAGER:  MR. DAVID METCALF
EMAIL:  ( atlaslondon@yandex.com )
TELEPHONE : +447700019472
I do not want you to thank me or my husband all we expect of you is to invest wisely and do the same good to someone’s life someday as by rendering selfless service is the only way this world would become a better place. Try and contact Mr. David Metcalf immediately to avoid increase in security / safe keeping fees.
Be also notified that I will no longer be reading my emails or surfing the internet as I have retired completely from the outside world to my ranch, at this moment I have nothing to do with emails and other luxuries, all further correspondence should be forwarded to Atlas Security Company London for for the release of the funds to you.
 
Accept this donation from the bottom of my heart.
 
Mrs. Julie Thompson.

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