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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: "Anderson Solicitors" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <andersonsolicitors.ca@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2017 22:31:17 +0300
Subject: Can I present you as the beneficiary?

My names are Barrister David Anderson, of  Anderson Solicitors, Attorney-at-law; actually I got your contact information through your state Public Record while searching for a last name similar to my late client's name, a business tycoon who lived in Europe for over Twenty-One years; he was gruesomely murdered by a car bomb in the middle east by the ISIS group during a business trip and short holidays visit to Israel with his entire family.
 
However the circumstances and urgency of this claim have prompted me to send you this unsolicited email, which I humbly apologize. Can I present you as the beneficiary to the money deposited by my late client Since you are bearing the same surname with him? Honestly,
 
Before his demised; He deposited a vault worth $6.2 (SIX MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) with a security Firm here in Canada. As the attorney to my late client, the security Firm has mandated me to present the next beneficiary to the vault(heir/inheritor) to make the claims or the funds will be confiscated and taken to the government Bureau as unclaimed.
 
Therefore on this brief notice I solicit you to kindly Get back to me for more details and you will be glad to achieve this well orchestrated project with me because we have all it takes to achieve a successful transaction at the end. All I required from you is your international passport or any of your valid identity card to procure all the vital documentation on your name and submit to the Bank as evidence for our claims.
 
Kind Regards,
 
Barr. David Anderson

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