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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: "Kenneth Williams" <ken-williams2016@yandex.com>
Reply-To: kenwf20@gmx.com
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2016 14:57:15 +0300
Subject: Hello...

>From Kenneth and Juliet Williams
Add: Cabinet Marie-Elise Gbedo
08 BP 947 Cotonou, Benin

Good day Sir/Madam,

It is my pleasure to write you this confidential letter after much
consideration. My name is Kenneth Williams and my junior sister Juliet
Williams the only son and daughter of late Gen Alexander Williams and Mrs
Chief Onome Williams from sierra leone,I am 22 years old boy, I was born
in SIERRA LEONE, and I school in Freetown sierra Leone but I couldn't
finish my education because of the things of the world, I have no father
nor mother. My father was former Director of finance Sierra-Leone
diamond,Gold and mining corporation, in Free Town,the economic capital of
Sierra Leone before his untimely death.After his business trip.

My father got an accident with my mother on 30th of June 2012 of which my
mother died instantly but my father died five days after in a private
hospital in our country. On that faithful afternoon, I didn't know that my
father was going to leave me after I had earlier lost my mother, but
before he gave up the ghost, it was as if he knew he was going to die. My
father, oh my GOD (may his soul rest in perfect peace) before he died he
called me and told me that he deposited the sum of EIGHTEEN Million US
Dollars (US$18,000,000.00) in fix deposit account in one of the Eco bank
here in Cotonou the economic capital of Benin Republic.

That the money was meant for his diamond and Gold company he wanted to
establish in Cotonou, according to my father he deposited the money in
suspense account using my name as the next of kin. He instructed me to
seek for a reliable and trust worthy business partner for my life time
investment abroad.Now I have succeeded in locating the deposit documents
and the bank where this money was deposited in Cotonou,Benin Republic. My
uncle has seized all my late father's properties of which he want me to
provide every other documents related to my late father's bank deposit I
refused. Now my life is in a very big danger, For this reason I have to
look for my safety and security pending my coming over to meet you
immediately after the transferring of my inheritance funds to your
account.I am now in Cotonou where the money was deposited.

Now my uncle is going around Benin Republic looking for me to collect all
the documents that covers this money, based on the fact that my father
told me that I should not give it to any body or show it to any body but
it should be someone that I trust who will help me to retrieve the money.
Due to political problem in my country, and now since I and my junior
sister is the only person left in my family, I seek your assistance in the
following ways

(1.) To provide a bank where this money can be transferred into.
(2.) To make arrangements for us to come over to your country after the
successful transferring of this money into your account, to come and
further our education.
(3.) To help me invest this money in a profitable business since i am only
22yrs of age and do not know about business.
(4.)To sponsor transfer this money into your account.
(5.)I want you to promise me that you are not going to betray me after the
money gets into your account.

We must do these with trust; I am willing to offer you 20% of the total
fund if only you can help me out of our present predicament. To make
arrangement for us to come over to your country to further my education
and to secure a resident permit in your country, I await your immediate
response to know what to do next please help me!

Anticipating hearing from you soon.

Thanks and God Bless.
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Williams and Juliet Williams


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