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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: "Hon. Barr.Andy Thompson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <honbarrandythompson22@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 12:48:23 -0400
Subject: A pleasure meeting you,

ANDY THOMPSON & CO. CHAMBERS, L.L.B. L.L.M B.L
LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND SOLICITORS OF BRITISH BAR
E-MAIL:{honbarrandythompson22@gmail.com}

A pleasure meeting you,

I am Barrister Andy Thompson, Solicitor and Financial
Attorney/Consultant. I was moved to contact you based on the present
condition of things here. There was a foreigner who registered with my
Legal firm as his personal Attorney and he was a stock broker as well
as a one time secret agent in importing oil from overseas for some
multi national companies. My client was also a Diamond/Gold Merchant.

So, on 2nd June 2005 my client made a fixed deposit for
US$15,800,000.00 (Fifteen Million, Eight Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars Only) with a Bank here , with standing
statement/agreement with the bank that all correspondences in respect
to the fixed deposit contract must be sent to him through my humble
chambers. Upon maturity, the routine notification was sent to me,
which I dispatched to his forwarding address as usual without a reply.

After a month, I sent a reminder which I received from the bank
without any reply again. Finally, I discovered from my client's
contract employee that he died among many others on Sept.11, 2005
Terrorist attack though his death was on a secondary cause during the
inferno and his names were not listed in the 9/2006 data. He died
without making any WILL and all attempts to trace his relatives was
fruitless.

I also discovered that he did not declare any kin or relations in all
his official documents, including his fixed deposit contract with the
bank. Hence I seek your consent to present you to this bank as the
next of kin based on the official letter I just received from his
bankers reminding me that BENINOISE LAW states that at the expiration
of ten (10) years the money will be reverted to the ownership of the
BENINOISE Government if I do not confirm the next of kin to claim the
fund.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to
stand in as the next of kin to my deceased client since you shares the
same surname and also from this same country so that the fruits of
this old man's labor will not go into the hands of some corrupt
government officials.

Note that this transaction is simple and risk free because I will
provide expert legal services that will guarantee the successful
execution of this deal. If you are interested, please contact me as
soon as possible, I shall provide you with more details and how we
shall proceed with the claims. I expect you to observe utmost
confidentiality and be rest assured that this transaction would be
profitable for both of us. Kindly reply to my secured email account as
(honbarrandythompson22@gmail.com}

Thanks as I wait for your reply.

Best Regards,
Hon. Barr.Andy Thompson

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