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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: Michael Hart <donotreply@workforittoday.com>
Reply-To: rodmichael1965@yandex.com
Date: 10 Mar 2020 07:31:37 +0100
Subject: Re: From the Desk of Barr. Michael Hart, Your assistance is needed

Dear,

Greetings for the Day. It is good to be in contact with you even
though this communication (internet) has been grossly
abused by criminal minded people making it difficult for people
with genuine struggle to correspond and exchange views without
scepticism. This is a personal email directed to you and I
request
that it should be treated as such. I am Michael Hart, a solicitor
at law.

I am the personal attorney/sole executor to the late Mr. Michael
Hart , hereinafter referred to as 'my client' who worked as an
independent oil magnate in my country and who died in a car crash
with his immediate family on the 5th of Nov 2016. I believe you
will read this carefully and understand with me, As this will be
of a benefit to both of us. Since the death of my client in Nov,
2016 I have written several letters to the embassy with intent to
locate any of his extended relatives whom shall be
claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate and all
such efforts have been to no avail. More so, I have received
official letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely
proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in
line with existing laws by the bank in which my client deposited
the sum of $11.8m (Eleven Million, Eight Hundred US Dollars). The
board of directors of the company adopted a resolution and I
was mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this
money within the next 15 official working days or forfeit the
money as an abandoned fund. The company had planned to invoke the
abandoned property Decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after
the expiration of the period given to me but after an
investigation in the finance company, I found out that some
members of the company wants to divert this fund into their
private accounts for their own selfish interest and want to
use the excuse that since I am not able to look for someone to
make the claim, the funds should be made unserviceable and that
means submitting the fund to the government of this country and
some to the company management which is not their main
intentions.

By virtue of my closeness to the deceased and his immediate
family, I am very much aware of my client's financial standing. I
do sincerely sympathize the death of my client, but had thought
it unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the federal
government of this country and the finance company where it is
lodged. I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be
legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased
client which is legally possible and would be done in accordance
with the laws of the land. On this note I decided to search for a
credible person and finding that you bear a similar last name, I
was urged to contact you, that I may, with your consent, present
you to the "trustee" bank as my late client's surviving family
member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that
capacity as a next of kin of my client, so that the proceeds of
This Bank Account valued at Eleven Million, Eight Hundred US
Dollars ($11.8m) can be paid to you, before it gets
confiscated or declared unserviceable to the bank where this huge
deposit is lodged. Note that this is real and 100% risk free
since I have all vital documents that would be requested by them
and that would confer you the right to make this claim. I
find this possible for the main reason that you bear a similar
last name with my client making it a lot easier to put up
a claim in that capacity. Therefore, to facilitate the immediate
re-profiling of this fund, you need, first to contact me via my
alternative email address signifying your interest and as soon as
I obtain your confidence, I will immediately intimate you with
the complete details as well as email you the documents, with
which you are to proceed and I shall direct on how to put up an
application to the bank.

However, you will have to assent to an express agreement which I
will forward to you to bind us in this transaction. Upon
the receipt of your reply, I will send you by mail the next
step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
proposal is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any
fears as the required arrangements have been made for the
completion of this transfer. I assure you that this will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you
from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me through
my alternative email for better confidentiality and send to me
your telephone to enable us discuss further about this
transaction.

Like I said, I require a solemn confidentiality on this.
Please let me have your opinion as soon as possible if this
proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you, I await your quick response.



Send me a mail at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Michael Hart.


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