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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: "MR.JAMES B. COMEY JR," (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barrister.bumi.martins009@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:17:49 +0800
Subject: ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE VERY URGENT!!!

Attention
 
We are writing you to inform you that someone came to our office claiming that he is your Next of Kin and wants to claim your funds which is in our custody for he said that you just died of a deadly diseases, we from the Finance House keeping your FUND worth $2.5million from the can't just release the funds to him because we should have received a call from a member of your family or you could have stated this to us since you have failed to pay just the sum of $100 for the delivery and insurance fee.
 
 
When he said he wanted to claim your funds despite your inability to respond back to us and that he was willing to pay the sum of $100USD for the delivery and insurance fee, the Board members were so skeptical about this and has asked me to contact you once again to know if you are still alive and to know if he is trying to steal your money from us.
 

Do get back to us if you are still there so that we will not foolishly handover your funds to someone else who claim to be your next of Kin. We will be glad to send you your funds in you are still there so that we can arrest this person who says he is from your family. Your response will make a difference and sort this out. This will be best if you are alive and if you are dead, we want who ever that receives this mail , to have a Rest in peace and we are going to have a change of ownership to the next of Kin.
 
 
 
Regards,
Barrister Bumi Martins
 

Anti-fraud resources: