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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: "George Wallace" <wallx01@groupmail.com>
Reply-To: wallx011@groupmail.com
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2015 07:02:37 +0100
Subject: Very Important

Hello,

I hope my message would reach you this time having made several unsuccessful attempts? I had finally resorted to communicate with you via email which is an unconventional means of relaying a very confidential message since I didn't have your phone number. You might be interested in knowing that I got your impressive information after a very conscious search online for a possible relative to my client. Kindly accept my sincere apology if my message was unsolicited since the internet has already been polluted.

My name is George Wallace, I am a personal attorney to Mr. Robert Liu (Deceased) An Australian national of Chinese ancestry. He was an oil procurement contractor with Shell China Oil Exploration and Production Company Limited. My client was assigned to the company's subsidiary business unit in Europe as an oil refinery consultant.

On Monday 12th of May 2008, at about 02.28pm ( China Time ) a 7.9 magnitude earthquake occurs in Sichuan Province of China. This powerful earthquake toppled buildings,schools,factories and chemical plants, killing more than 69,000 people. Several victims were buried alive under rubble in surrounding cities. Unfortunately, my client, his wife and their 2 children were on a sightseeing tour of that part in China when the sad incidence occurred. They lost their lives in the earthquake that hit many parts of Chengdu and to the eastern part of Beichuan province. The thunderous impact of that catastrophic occurrence was felt far away in Vietnam and Thailand.

After the disheartening incidence, a copy of my client's WILL was retrieved in my law chambers and the document nominated his wife as a successor in title to his estate. I had made several efforts through the Australia and China consulates in London to locate his relatives without success. I had also made several attempts to trace his extended family roots online using vital information found on his London apartment without positive outcome until I came across your information. I am contacting you with this proposal in confidence since you are of the same nationality with my client to help save his estate from confiscation. The UK inheritance governing laws doesn't permit me to undertake duties of a successor in title to my client.

The deceased had made a fixed term deposit of US$11,500,000 ( Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ) An oil supply contract proceeds with a private bank in England before his demise. The financial institution has sent me several notices to provide a next of kin to secure his estate. Else, it would be declared unserviceable and subsequently forfeited.

Having been unsuccessful in locating any of my late client's relatives for a very long time, I am now seeking for your cooperation by presenting you legally to the bank as a business associate and family-friend that would be in charge of the deceased's estate administration. I will approach the UK Probate Registry to obtain a Letter of Administration and other Executorship Rights Documents in your name for presentation to the private bank for approval.

I had already worked out the modalities for achieving my aim of appointing a suitable beneficiary for the deposited claim. I earmarked an incentive of 20% of the funds as commission for my efforts and legal services, 30% for you ( Nominated beneficiary) while the balance of 50% of the released amount would be donated to different charities in your country.

Be informed that I am not interested in any money from you upfront in getting this done. I will take care of all the cost of necessary legal documents required by the bank to release the funds to you. However, you will only be required to open a non resident bank account in your name at the paying bank for funds collection after all legal prerequisites have been adequately provided by me. The released amount would be in transit in the non resident acount before onward remittance into your designated bank account abroad.

It has been my intention to achieve the deposit claim process legally without breach of law. This would be a legal estate claim with absolutely no risk involved. If you are interested, get back to me for further details.

Thank you.

George Wallace.

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