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: "Barrister.Alex Duke" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alex.duke16@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2016 08:18:25 -0800
Subject: Business proposal

FROM THE DESK OF: ALEX DUKE
CHAMBERS & ASSOCIATES
NO 33 WEMA BANK ROAD ALABA INTERNATIONAL MRT
LAGOS NIGERIA
Email:-alex.duke16@yahoo.com
 
Dear Friend,
 
I sincerely apologize for intruding into your privacy especially by contacting you through this means for a business transaction of this magnitude, but due to its seriousness and urgency it therefore became necesary for me to seek your assistance.
 
I am Barr. Alex Duke he personal lawyer to Late Mr. Mark, a foreigner, who worked with an Oil Servicing Company in the oil rich Niger Delta Area of Bayelsa State. I am contacting you concerning my late client and an investment he made. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contacted you independently and no one should be informed of this communication. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.
 
This is a genuine transaction and is 100% risk free. All I'm demanding from you is your honest co-operation to enable us achieve our goal, and not a perfidious person. On the 6th of May, he travelled with his family to China,Unfortunately, he and his entire family died in a deadly earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan province of China which killed at least 68,000 people.
 
Meanwhile, until his death, my late client had a Fixed Deposit Account of USD $12.8 Million deposited in a Bank Here ( Diamond Bank Plc ) here. Recently, I received an ultimatum from the Bank asking me to provide my late client's relative so that the money would be given to them. But unfortunately it was discovered that my late client did not declare any identifiable family member in all the official documents he tendered to the Bank  while opening the account.
 
Therefore, this development leaves me as the only person with the full picture of what the prevailing situation is in relation to the deposit my late client made and who is entitled to be the Bona Fide Beneficiary/Next of Kin or relative because he died intestate.Therefore, if I fail to locate any of his relatives or his next of kin (and have this money transfered to them) the Bank will at the expiration of the 6 weeks ultimatum given to me confiscate the account.
 
According to the ultimatum issued to me by the Bank, if I fail to present to them my late client's relative, with a legitimate statement of claim for the money before the given time they will confiscate the account and the money declared 'UNCLAIMED BALANCE'. This will result in the money being taken over by the Bank. This will not happen if I have my way.
 
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives of my late client all these while, my proposal, therefore, is to present you as the next of kin/relative of my client due to the fact that you are a foreigner and can easily pass as a possible relative of my client. I know you will be wondering how possible this could be but I assure you that this is simple.
 
I therefore seek your consent to present you as the Next Of Kin to my client so that the money he deposited with the ( Diamond Bank Plc ) would be paid to you and there after you and I will share the money 40% for you and I will be taking 60% . I assure you that the deposit would be released to you within a few days because I have all the relevant information that would facilitate that will be required on Documentation.
Firstlly, I will like you to provide immediately the following information:
 
Your full names.
Contact address.
Telephone/Fax Numbers.
 
With these information I will prepare the necessary documents and affidavit that will put you in place as the next of kin. After we have successfully satisfied the requirements of the bank the money totalling USD $12.8 Million would be paid intoyour account for you to take 30% and I will be taking 70% . All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this through.
 
There is no risk at all because everything would be done legally and my position as a qualified attorney will facilitate everything . Secondly, I will give you all the necessary documents that would serve as evidence proving that you are the Next of Kin/ Relative of my late client. These documents will legally confer on you the status to act as the Beneficiary of the Estate of my late client.
 
What I related to you might smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand that this is a once in life time opportunity capable of turning around our situation. The truth is that this money would not be taken by the government but by some greedy Bank Officails and I would not fold my arms and watch this happen hence my decision to contact you.
 
If you are interested in doing this transaction with me kindly send your reply to this email address: (alex.duke16@yahoo.com)
Thank you as I await your positive response.
 
Barrister.Alex Duke

Anti-fraud resources: