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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: W Associates <williams.assoc@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 14:50:03 +0100
Subject: Waiting for your response


WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES(UK)LLP

Attorneys, Notaries & Conveyance's

25 Southampton Buildings London, WC2A 1AL United Kingdom

Tel +: 44 310 371 1228



Dear Friend

I am Desmond
Williams. I was the personal attorney to late Mr. Franklin, a national
of your country who was an Oil tycoon, Realtors and also an avid
community volunteer and a world traveler. Here in after shall be
referred to as my client. On the 31st January, 2004, my client, his wife
and two kids died in a plane crash.



Since then I have
made several enquirers to embassy around to locate any of his extended
relatives this has also proved unsuccessful. And I have sent letter to
the address of my client but never received a response. After these
several unsuccessful attempts. I decided to track his last name over the
Internet to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you



I contacted you to
assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client before they
get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where these huge
deposits were lodged. Particularly, the bank where the deceased had an
account valued at about £17.8M (Seventeen Million Eight Hundred Thousand
British Pounds sterling) whom have severally issued me a notice to
provide the Next of Kin or have the account confiscated.



Since I have been
unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 10 years now I seek your
consent to present you as the Next of Kin of the deceased since you
share the same surname and he is a national of your country, so that the
proceeds of this account valued at (£17.8M ) can be paid to you and
then you and I can share the money. I wish to point out that after the
claims, I would want 20% of this money to be shared among charity
organizations, while the remaining 80% is shared equally between us. All
I require is your honest co-operation to enable us in seeing this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Contact me
through email or above telephone no,if you are willing to partner with
me on the claim. Thanking you in anticipation for your urgent response.



Regards

Desmond Williams

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