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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Steve Adams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <steveadams015@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 22:19:27 -0800
Subject: Compliment Of The Season To You.

Dear Partner,

My names are Barr. Steve Adams, a Solicitor at Law in London United Kingdom. The nature of my services covers individuals, corporate bodies and institutions. I also represent Government Departments as an External Solicitor.

Prior to my explaining further, I must first express my gratitude to write you as well as to get to know you if it is God's wish. I am very conscious of disclosing the nature of this business venture/investment to anyone but having believed that you could be business oriented, I made up my mind to open up to you without hesitation believing that its confidentiality will remain between both of us alone.

Meanwhile I got your contact through your countries public record whence I decided to contact you for a business that will be beneficial to both of us at the end of it.

I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Peterson Grandi from United States of America who was a business magnate and worked with an indigenous company in Nairobi Kenya in Eastern Africa for many years. Unfortunately Mr. Peterson Grandi died on July 25, 2000 in a plane crash along with his nuclei family the wife ,Son and daughter). Visit this site. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/905308.stm

Before the catastrophe, Mr. Peterson Grandi lodged a total of US$25.5M into a private finance and security firm for safe keeping in one of the countries in Europe and for security and personal reasons he did not disclose every information regarding the content of the deposit to the finance and security firm.

As the personal attorney/trustee to my late client, the finance firm has mandated me to provide a member of his family (heir/inheritor) or any of his business associate to make Claims of this deposit or the vault will be confiscated and shall be moved to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security as unclaimed.

For the past twelve years, I have been on search for any member of his family and all effort to locate someone proves abortive. Against this backdrop, my business proposal with you is that I would like to present you as my late client`s business associate/next of kin. I know you may not in any way related to what we are talking about but being in position of every document related to this deposit coupled with all other modalities I have in place, be rest assured that if you follow my instructions and directives strictly (The rule of laws) and capitalizing of some judicial loop holes, the funds will be release to you as my clients next of kin/business associate.

Note that this transaction is 100% risk free as I am the only person who has the right to present any person to the security and finance firm as my late client's next of kin or business associate. I have worked out all modalities to complete the operation effectively. Once the transaction is done and completed, our sharing modalities shall be upon agreed prior to the start of this transaction. Note, that if we fail to claim this deposit, it will be confiscated and shared by the board of directors of the firm and this is the more reason why we need to expedite action without delay. Please do not

disclose these to anybody as it should be strictly confidential between both of us. This is purely on a private issue. Very important you understand this. I will be obliged to give you further information you may need to know as soon as I receive a positive response from you and we can then discuss on our sharing methods. Feel free to contact me through my telephone number Tel: + 447452035666.
Please be kind to get back to me.

Even when you are not willing to collaborate with me so that I can further my search for another partner.

Thanking you for your understanding.
Best Regards,

Barr. Steve Adams.

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