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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: "Bernard West" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info.bernardwest@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2017 18:41:37 -0400
Subject: ***SPAM*** Hello! Get in Touch


Dear Sir/Ma,

Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your contact from a computerize data following my effort searching for a trustworthy person to assist me. My name is Barrister Bernard West I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Samson, who was awarded two different contracts with shell Development Company here before his untimely demise On the 10th of June 2012.My client his family were involved in an air disaster and  unfortunately they lost their lives.

Since then I have made several inquiries to locate any of my client extended relatives, but I have been unsuccessful. After this several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the Internet; basically to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

I contacted you to assist me in recovering the Fund valued at {USD$23.5Million} Twenty-three Million five hundred thousand United state Dollars, executed contract fund that was approved in favor of my late client, Being the proposed contract payment for the contract he executed with the shell Development Company here before his untimely demise On the 10th of June 2012.

The Bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the fund confiscated within the next three Weeks of official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over five years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased, since you bear similar surname that will prove you without doubt his relative, so that the proceeds of this contract fund can be paid to you.

Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for the transfer. I have all necessary information needed to back you up the claim. All I required from you is your honesty and maximum co-operation to enable us see that this transaction goes successfully. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Finally, kindly send your full name, address, telephone/fax numbers and your Email address are urgently needed for easy communication for the commencement modalities of this claim.
I await your feedback.

Best regard,

Barrister Bernard West.
info.bernardwest@gmail.com

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