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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: "PEDRO FERNANDEZ" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <pedro_fernadez@sify.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 15:52:48 -0800
Subject: MAY I HAVE YOUR CONSENT

PEDRO FERNANDEZ
LAW FIRM
GENERAL VARELA, 71, MADRID
SPAIN 28020

DEAR FRIEND,

COMPLIMENTS OF THE DAY TO YOU AND HOW ARE YOU TODAY? MY NAME IS MR. PEDERO
FERNANDEZ A RESIDENT OF MADRID, SPAIN AND A LAWYER BY PROFESSION. I KNOW WE
HAVE NOT MET BEFORE, BUT I AM CONSTRAINED TO CONTACT YOU BECAUSE OF THE
URGENCY OF THE MATTER AT HAND. LET ME ALSO APOLOGISE FOR THE UNSOLICITED NATURE
OF THIS MAIL.

I WRITE TO INFORM YOU THAT A CLIENT OF MINE WHO WAS A NATIONAL OF YOUR COUNTRY
WAS ONE OF THE VICTIMS OF 11TH MARCH, 2004 TERRORIST BOMB ATTACK IN MADRID, SPAIN.
ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THAT URGLY INCIDENT. THIS IS
SIX YEARS SINCE AFTER THAT INCIDENT. BUT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS HIS BANKERS HERE IN
SPAIN HAVE BEEN SENDING ME SERIES OF DEMAND NOTICE ASKING ME TO PRESENT A NEXT OF KIN
TO THEM TO THE ESTATE LEFT BEHIND BY THIS CLIENT OF MINE WHICH THEY SAID IS WORTH
SEVENTEEN MILLION EUROS. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE A RELATIVE
BUT ALL TO NO AVAIL.

I AM CONTACTING YOU TO ASSIST IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY LEFT BEHIND BY MY CLIENT BEFORE
THEY GET LIQUIDATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE BANK WHERE THIS HUGE DEPOSITS WERE
LODGED. I GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL
PROTECT YOU FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW.

NOTE: PLEASE SEND TO ME YOUR DIRECT CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS, CONTACT
ADDRESS AS I WILL LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU ONE ON ONE.


LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR SWIFT REPLY.

YOURS RESPECTFULLY,

MR PEDRO FERNANDEZ
MADRID, SPAIN.

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