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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: Charles Maitre <secretaria@meteorologia.gov.py>
Reply-To: legacylawfirmdakar@consultant.com
Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2017 13:55:11 +0100
Subject: Greetings From Dakar


Dear Sir/Madam, Firstly, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction=
this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secr=
et. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one ap=
prehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the =
end of the day. Let me start by first introducing myself properly to you. I=
t may surprise you receiving this letter from me, since there was no previo=
us correspondence between us. My name is Barrister Charles Ma=CEtre of LEGA=
CY LAW FIRM DAKAR SENEGAL; a personal Attorney to Late Engr. Azeem Khan, an=
Oil Magnate, who lived here in DAKAR for twenty-eight years before his unt=
imely death. My purpose of contacting you is for you to help secure the fun=
ds left behind by my late client, to avoid it being confiscated or declared=
unserviceable by the Bank where this fund is valued at US$3,000,000.00 (Th=
ree Million United States Dollars) deposited by my client before his death.=
The Bank ((Soci=E9t=E9 G=E9n=E9rale de Banques au S=E9n=E9gal)) has issued=
me a notice to contact the next of kin or the account will be declared uns=
erviceable and the fund diverted to the Bank treasury, So far all my effort=
s to get a hold of someone related to my client has proved abortive. Hence,=
I have contacted you. I am actually asking for your consent to present you=
to the Bank as the Next of Kin/beneficiary of my late client's fund, since=
you have the same last name, so that the proceeds of this deposit can be p=
aid to your account. This transaction is entirely risk free and I will use =
position as a lawyer to guarantee the successful execution of this transact=
ion. Once the money is released to you we shall share in the ratio of 45% f=
or me, 50% for you, while remaining 5% will be set aside for any expenses i=
ncurred during the cause of securing this money. If my proposal is acceptab=
le to you, kindly reply via my email address for further discussion on how =
to proceed. Email: legacylawfirmdakar@consultant.com I can be reached at al=
l times on my direct telephone number +221 706 213 586 Kindest Regards. BAR=
RISTER: Charles Ma=CEtre=20

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