joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: " Legal Executive" <brown.john@linuxmail.org>
Reply-To: mr.jbrown094@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 01:30:59 -0700
Subject: Re:Hello

Good day,


I regret any kind of perceived intrusion into your privacy, I represent the interest of a deceased client who happens to be a national of your country. I am mandated by the bank as the personal Attorney to the deceased to present the surviving relative of the deceased to receive his entitlement with the bank. Until his demise, he worked as a private contractor with the government embarking on major projects. However, he died after completion of all the projects he embark and recently the government has approved the payment the final 60% of his contract sum which he completed prior to his demise.



I have made several inquiries with your embassy to locate any of his extended relatives to assist in receiving the funds, but all effort has been unsuccessful. I decided to contact you for your partnership in receiving his entitlement with the government. The government has instructed the corresponding paying bank to effect transfer to his relative is a part of the contract agreement. The bank sent a memo with full notice to provide his next of kin/relative. Failure to provide a representative to my deceased client would see the funds transferred to the government treasury as unclaimed contract sum. I assure you that the entire process will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law hence you have absolutely nothing to worry about.



I therefore seek your consent to present you as the relative/next of kin to the deceased; In this case the proceeds of the account valued at US$8,500,000.00 Million can be paid to you. Please be informed that the bank will approve of whomever I present before them with document. You have absolutely nothing to worry about; I can assure you as the personal attorney to the deceased everything will be handled 100% without any mishap whatsoever. All I require from you is your undiluted commitment to see the entire process through. With your full co-operation, this transaction shall be concluded within 7 days, and after the funds have been transferred into your account. All I require is your honest partnership, confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction through.


As soon as I receive your email signaling your desire to work with me, I shall proceed to submit my report with your file to the corresponding paying bank initiating the transfer process. For us to proceed, you are required to furnish me with your full name, address, occupation, mobile/numbers respectively. These information is to enable me secure the appropraite paper work to initiate the transfer process.


This matter should be treated as pressing, void of any kind of scam interferance. I am in contact with the government and I am expected to submit my report to the managing committee for review and processing. I woukd expediently request your swift correspondence however, If you are not interested please kindly delete this message and forget we ever made contact. I shall send you more details on reciept of your email


Yours faithfully,


John Brown QC
Attorney at Law
Bar Council

Anti-fraud resources: