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: "Davis Appiah." <fotopoulos1@ameritech.net>
Reply-To: "Davis Appiah." <davis_appiah74@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:18:10 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: reply.

Attn:
I am Davis Appiah Accounting Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank Accra Ghana.
This is a very confidential proposition for you. On November 20th 2013 a South American Contractor who Operates in West Africa made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$8,000,000.00 (Eight Million Dollars only) in my branch.

Upon maturity of his fixed Deposit as his Account Officer, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally I discovered that he was among the those who died in Mali Bamako after Terrorist raid Bamako Hotel. A terror attack at a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital that left at least 21 people dead, including two militants on 20th November, 2015.

Further investigations, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was proved abortive/fruitless. Again, I made further investigation and discovered that Mr Carlos did not declare any Next of Kin or relatives in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit document in my Bank.

This sum of US$8,000,000.00 is still sitting in my Bank No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to the International Banking ethics, codes and Laws, at the expiration of 2(Two) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Federal Reservation Account for Government use, if nobody applies to claim the fund.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin to Mr Carlos. This is simple, I will like you to respond immediately with your full names and address so that we will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will put you in place as the next of kin. A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 50% for me and 50% for you.

There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this project will be done and process legally in court on your behalf and with my position as the Account Officer I guarantee the successful execution of the wire.
Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. Please send me your confidential telephone and fax numbers for easy communication. You should observe utmost secret, and be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in your country.

Awaiting your urgent reply.
Thanks and regards.
Davis Appiah.

Anti-fraud resources: