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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: "obaro_legalchamber" <obaro_legalchamber@superbee.com.br>
Reply-To: obarolegalchambers@menja.net
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 05:15:10 -0300
Subject: SHALOM

FROM THE DESK OF: BARRISTER TOMMY OBARO (ESQ.)
LEGAL MINDS CHAMBERS 225 BROAD STREETS,
LAGOS-ISLAND LAGOS.


DEAR SIR/MADAM,

BEFORE GOING INTO DETAILS, LET ME FIRST OF ALL, APOLOGIZE FOR THIS UNSOLICITED MAIL TO YOU. I AM AWARE THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY AN UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO ESTABLISHING A RELATIONSHIP, BUT YOU WILLREALIZE THE REASON FOR MY ACTION AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS EMAIL.

I AM MR. TOMMY OBARO, A SOLICITOR AT LAW. I AM THE PERSONAL ATTORNEY TO LATE MR. MICHAEL ALI.IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED CLIENT DIED INTESTATE AND NOMINATED NO NEXT OF KIN TO THE TITLE OVER INVESTMENTS MADE. WE CAME TO KNOW OF YOU VIA THE LONDON GLOBAL DATABASE.CENTER (L.G.D.C.).HENCE I AM KEEN INTERESTED IN CONTACTING YOU,AS I FEEL YOU ARE A RELIABLE PERSON/GOD FEARING AND MATURED MIND THAT HAS ALL IT TAKES TO EXECUTE THIS PROJECT AND IN ALL I WAS ELATED WHEN I SAW YOUR ADDRESS,HENCE IMMEDIATELY PICKED A KEEN INTEREST WITH CONFIDENCE TO SOLICITFOR YOUR HELP IN EXECUTING THIS OPPORTUNITY, WHICH I WAS MOVED TO CONTACT YOU BASED ON THE PRESENT SITUATION OF THIS OPPORTUNITY,WHICH I MAY SAY, IS A GOD GIVEN OFFER.

THERE WAS A FOREIGNER WHO LIVED HERE IN NIGERIA, SOME YEARS AGO; HE IS CALLED MICHAEL ALI BY NAME,WHO THE BOTH OF YOU STAND ON THE SAME LAST NAME. UNTIL HIS DEATH I WAS HIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY, UNFORTUNATELY THE MAN DIED WITH HIS WIFE AND THEIR TWO KIDS IN A BOMB BLAST THAT CLAIM THE LIVES OF MORE THEN 6000 LIVES. YOU CAN CONFIRM THIS FACT FROM THE WEBSITE WHICH WAS AIRED BY THE BBC WORLD NEWS:

THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES COULD BE REFERENCED:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2718295.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2698081.stm

OWING TO HIS DEATH, HIS BANK CALLED ON ME FOR A BOARD MEETING AS REGARDS HIS ACCOUNT BALANCE WITH THE BANK, BEING HIS ATTORNEY TILL THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, I WAS TOLD TO COME UP WITH ANY OF HIS RELATIVES TO MAKE CLAIM OF THE MONEY, I TRIED ALL I COULD TO TRACE HIS FAMILY, BUT ALL MY EFFORTS PROVED ABORTIVE. SINCE JANUARY THIS YEAR, TILL DATE, THE BANK HAS BEEN ASKING ME TO LOOK FOR HIS FAMILY BECAUSE THEY REALIZE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING AND APPLYING TO CLAIM THE MONEY AS HIS NEXT OF KIN, BUT AFTER MUCH VERIFICATION AND INVESTIGATIONS, IT IS FOUND OUT THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT REALLY HIS NEXT OF KIN, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT PROVIDE ANY LEGAL EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE HIS RELATIVE.

HENCE, AT THIS JUNCTURE, I DECIDED TO USE YOU AS HIS NEXT OF KIN TO CLAIM THE MONEY AS IT HAPPENS THAT NONE OF HIS RELATIVES WILL EVER APPEAR TO CLAIM THE FUNDS, BESIDES I HAVE ALL HIS DOCUMENTED MEMO IN MY POSSESSION THAT WILL LEGALLY STAND YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN, AND WHICH WILL AT THE SAME TIME BACK YOU UP BEFORE THE BANK AS HIS NEXT OF KIN.

I WILL OBTAIN GENUINE LEGAL EVIDENCE THAT I WILL MAKE OUT IN YOUR NAME TO SATISFY THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHTFUL NEXT OF KIN/BENEFICIARY TO THE DECEASED. THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS ($17.500, 000.00) SEVENTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS. AND IT WILL INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM NOT A GREED MAN, HENCE WE WILL SHARE 40 / 50% OF THE TOTAL SUM AFTER TAXES AND FEES THAT WILL BE INCURRED DURING THE APPROVAL PROCESS WHICH 10% MADE BEEN MAPED OUT FOR THAT.

TO FACILITATE THIS TRANSACTION, I WILL LIKE TO INVEST MY OWN PART OF THE MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY BASED ON YOUR ADVICE, AND REGARDS TO THAT, I WILL LIKE YOU TO FURNISH ME WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, WHICH WILL BE USE TO SECURE THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS ON YOUR BEHALF,

1). FULL NAMES
2). COMPLETE CONTACT ADDRESS
3). CONTACT PHONE NUMBER
4). FAX NUMBER (OPTIONAL)
5). OCCUPATION
6). AGE
7). SEX

AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR INFORMATION, I WILL FORWARD A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION TO THE BANK, LETTING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT I HAD FINALLY GOTTEN THE TRUE NEXT OF KIN TO MY LATE CLIENT TO THE CONCERNED BANK AS HIS NEXT OF KIN. BE REST ASSURED THAT, THERE IS NO RISK INVOLVED AS I HAVE PERFECTED AND MADE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS TO BACK YOU UP IN CLAIMING THE FUNDS. I WILL WANT YOU TO REGARD THIS DEAL AS BEING HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL BECAUSE THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION DEMANDS A HIGH LEVEL OF SECRECY, AS THE BANK DOES NOT KNOW THAT I AM INVOLVED IN THE DEAL. IF INTERESTED IN THE TRANSACTION AND TO ENABLE ME FEED YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION S, THEN DO ALL YOU CAN TO FURNISH ME WITH ALL THE NEEDED INFORMATION.

THANKS FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED CO-OPERATION AS I AWAIT YOUR REPLY.
REGARDS,

BARRISTER TOMMY OBARO.

NB: THE INTEREST PERSONS OR PERSON ARE HIGHLY WELCOME WITH THE ABOVE INFORMATION NEEDED

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