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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: GBEDO M NOUTAI <gbedomnoutai@gmail.com>
Reply-To: gbedomnoutai@outlook.com
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:33:11 +0100
Subject: Re: VERY VERY URGENT PLEASE

My Dear Good Friend,

Goodday,My names are Mr.GBEDO M NOUTAI, I am a lawyer by profession.Please take your time to read and understand it all,I dont want you to see this mail as a hoax or fraudulent act,I know you would be very surprised to read from someone relatively unknown to you before.I must first apologize for sending you this unsolicited message and I want you to know that the essence of this message is strictly confidential and for mutual benefits between you and I and nothing more.Though I have not considered this medium to be the best manner to have approached you on this issue being that the internet has been greatly abused over the recent years and is very insecure for information of vital nature like this.I have decided to take the chance seeing that no other means could had been faster and more efficient for now.

I am writing in respect of one Engr.Lewis,I worked for him as his family lawyer for many years,he was a contractor with Texaco petroleum here,he spent most of his life-time here but as fate had it,he died with his wife and their only son,including his mother inlaw in plane crash of 25th December 2003 in Cotonou(Republic of Benin).For more information about the crash you can visit this site::(http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20031225-0).

A bank agent came to me at the first time by may 2006 to inform me of the fund deposited in their bank by my late client which I knew too well and their board of directors resorted that hence the entire family was wiped out,it now falls on me as his family lawyer to provide a member of my late client's extended family to lay claims to the fund deposited by their brother.In this regards,I have tried several avenues even through your embassy here to locate his close-relations but all to no avail.

The bank just issued me a notice few days ago to provide a heir to the fund or they will have the funds confiscated as an unclaimed bill and their mandate is that the heir must bear the same surname with my late client as enshrined in the deposit agreement.

Late Engr.Lewis had no WILL but his certified next of kin was his wife who died alongside with him and that is why I am mandated by law as his personal lawyer to provide the nearest relation hence the law of inheritance in my country does not make provision for estate management/agreement rather the right is given to the approved heir/beneficiary.

Under this pressure,I resorted to tracking his last name on internet,this is how I got to you,I know you may not be related to him,my interest is that you possess the identity I need,what I need now is for you and I to agree on a deal,we are just fortunate to be in the position hence you bear the same surname with my late client,then I will inform the bank that I have located my late client's relative so as to transfer the fund to you.Hence the fund is completely transferred to your bank,then I will travel to your country where we can share the fund as we shall agree.

I require your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through,I guarantee you that this will be executed under a solid legitimate arrangement that will protect you and I from any breach of the law,I will provide you with all the legal documents that will back you up for this claim. Upon receipt of your positive response,we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for the transfer.

Awaiting your timely response.

Sincerely,
GBEDO M NOUTAI Esq.
Eminent Law Firm.

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