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: Peter Dwell <peter.dwell@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:33:20 +0000
Subject: Your Inheritance




Attn:

My name is Attorney Peter Dwell a legal practitioner based in London United Kingdom. I am compelled to contact you for an online fund transfer of £19.7 Million (Nineteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling) into your account.

I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Randolph Marriott who was an influential wealthy businessman, an Oil/Gas business magnet here in London United Kingdom. A Foreign National who died along with his wife and two sons in a robbery attack in their settlement home in London United Kingdom. Late Mr. Randolph Marriott was a successful and an accomplished family man who made enough fortune before his untimely death. He left behind a deposit of £19.7 Million (Nineteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling). After his death, his bankers contacted me as his attorney to provide his next of kin who should inherit his funds. The board of directors of his bank adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of these funds or forfeit the money to the bank as an abandoned property. The bankers had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me. Since then I have made several inquiries through his embassy to locate any of his extended relatives but this exercise has proved unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives to locate any member of his family. But no progress was made.

Fortunately, in the verge of my search, I came across your contact information through a consultancy firm in the office of the Commerce & Industry that provided me with your reputable contact information. Being convinced that you might provide clue to my search. I therefore decided to seek your consent to contact you with these facts before me because of your Foreigner similarities to present you as the next of kin to the late Mr. Randolph Marriott. By virtue of my closeness to my late client and his immediate family, I am very much aware of late Mr. Randolph Marriott's financial standing and the bank account he operates.

I have reasoned very professionally and feel it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin to my deceased client late Mr. Randolph Marriott so that you can be paid the funds left in his bank account. since you are at an advantage as a Foreigner. The proceeds of this bank account valued at £19.7 Million (Nineteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling) will be paid to you. We shall both share the funds equally, 50% for me and 50% to you. I shall assemble all the necessary legal documents that will be used to back up the claim. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing the deal through.

NOTE: PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME BY EMAIL FOR PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY TO ENABLE US DISCUSS FURTHER. peterdwell@hotmail.com

1) YOUR FULL NAME............................

2) YOUR FULL PHYSICAL ADDRESS.....................

3) YOUR PHONE NUMBER....................

4) YOUR FAX NUMBER................................

5) YOUR AGE..................................

6) YOUR OCCUPATION..............................

7) SEX........................................

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Yours Sincerely,

Attorney Peter Dwell


Anti-fraud resources: