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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: "Srikantan Venkatesh" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <srikanvenkatesh@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2018 22:13:04 -0700
Subject: reply now

Greetings, I'm pleased to meet you.

Let me start by introducing myself, My name is Srikantan Venkatesh I am a banker working with Barclays PLC Dubai in Dubai, U.A.E. I write to contact you over a very important business transaction which will be of our interest and benefit to our both families. I have in my bank the existence of a big amount of money that belongs to a customer Late Mr. Daniel who happen to have the same surname as yours and who has your country in his file as his nationality. The fund is now without any claim because he died in a deadly earthquake in China in 2008.

I was his account officer before i rose to the position of the Head of Personal Banking. Sadly Mr. Daniel was among the death victims in the deadly earthquake in China in 2008 that claimed many lives while he was on a business trip. The management of my bank has been finding means to reach him so as to ascertain if he will roll over the Deposit or have the contract sum withdrawn. When I discovered that this will happen, I tried to think up a procedure to preserve this funds and use the proceeds for business. Some directors here have been trying to find out from me the information about this account and the owner, but I have kept it closed because, I know that if they become aware of his demise, they will take the funds for themselves.

Therefore, I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the one to benefit from his fund at his death since you have the same ,surname with him so that my bank head quarters will pay the funds to you. I have done enough inside bank arrangement and you only have to put in your details into the information network in the bank computers to reflect you as his next of kin. If you concur with this proposal, I intend for you to retain 50% of the funds while 50% shall be for me. I will send you the further details of the transaction as soon as I receive your response with your full details. Strictly send it to my private email account (srikanvenkatesh@gmail.com).

Regards,
Venkatesh

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