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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: "Barr. Fernando Alvarez Domingo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fernando_domingo@lycos.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 12:59:58 +0100
Subject: Barr. Fernando Alvarez Domingo


Dear Friend

Accept my sincere apology for this unsolicited letter to you, I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust but you will realize the need for my action. My name is Barrister Fernando Alvarez Domingo, I got your contact information’s through the your country public records while searching for anybody that can help my late client. I am writing to you in regards to my deceased client, Engr. George, an oil contractor to the Libya government under the regime of late Col. Muammar Gaddafi. He lived in Spain for twenty years; he died May 2011 in the Libya revolution war in Tripoli.

Before his demise, he deposited the sum of ($10.5M) Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars, with a Security Safe Keeping institutions here in Spain. The security institution being aware of his death have mandated me to present a member of his family (heir/inheritor)or Next of kin to make Claims of his vault otherwise it will be forfeited, seized or confiscated by the authorities and reverts to the treasury of the Spanish Ministry as unclaimed. This is because in accordance with the Spanish law, such fortune is automatically bequeathed to the government if there is no heir or Next of kin to the deceased that would surface to claim the fortune. However, this law is unjust and inhuman as it often creates an avenue for the top officials of some financial institutions to divert such fortunes for their own selfish use. On that ground, I decided to search for any of my late client's relative which has proved abortive as he did not declare officially any Next of kin or beneficiary.

Though my late client George did not disclose the content of the vault to the safe keeping firm as money for security and personal reasons, he declared the content as sensitive personal valuables. The vault was deposited Wednesday 12th October 2009 at 12:17pm at the Madrid central office of the safe keeping firm. My late client did not state the Next of kin or beneficiary due to his immediate investments plans. I know you might not be related but after countless efforts to locate direct relative to my late client and three months final notice from the safe keeping firm to present a beneficiary to the vault of my late client, And failure to meet up with this deadline means the vault will be liquidated to the bureau of public and unclaimed vault and that I forbid happening.

Against this backdrop, I decided to contact you to join me to put claims on this deposit before it`s forfeited to the authorities. My suggestion to you is, I will like to present you as the Next of Kin and beneficiary to this deposit, since you are both foreign nationals and you share same surname by virtue of my position as his personal Attorney before his demise, I will place your name as the Next of kin/Beneficiary to my late client and I will prepare all relevant legal documentations that will assist to facilitate the release of the vault to you without any breach of the law.

Note, I have worked out all modalities to complete the transaction successfully, be rest assured that the transaction is 100% legal and risk free. Once the vault is released to you, we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 45% for you while remaining 5% will be set aside for any expenses incurred during the cause of securing this deposit. If my proposal is acceptable to you,

Kindly reply to my private email: fernando_domingo@gmx.com

Regards Sincerely,

Barr. Fernando Alvarez Domingo



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