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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: "Alan Edward" <offff000-1111@att.net>
Reply-To: <alanedwards1@live.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:25:11 -0800
Subject: OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT......

Mr. Alan Edward.
E-mail alanedwards1@live.com
 
Dear Friend,
 
Fund Transfer From: Mr. Alan Edward.
 
I am Mr. Alan Edward, an external auditor with Tesco Bank of London England (TBL). There was an account opened in this bank in 1998 and since 2000 nobody has operated in this account again. After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that the owner of this account died with his wife along with their two children were among the victims of Boeing 737 Egyptian Airliner that crashed into the Red Sea. You can read more about the crash by visiting this website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3365769.stm .
 
It's my clear determination to achieve this success with you, in full confidence trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down in future and if I do not remit this money out urgently, this funds will go down the drains, into the hands of either the board of directors of this bank or the funds may eventually be discovered by the government as a dormant fund in the forth coming audit by the Nations auditors. They will confiscate or send it into the government's treasury account. The question now is who is the government and where is the treasury? These are human beings like you and I. The owner of this account is Late Mr. Frederick Sullivan, a foreigner, oil consultant/contract and a geologist by profession and he died in 3 January, 2004.No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything about this account.
 
The amount involved is (£10,500.000 )Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling. I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local bank account here, but can only be approved to any foreign account and foreign beneficiary because the real owner of the account Late Mr. Frederick Sullivan, is a foreigner too.
 
I only got your contact address from my secretary who operates computer; with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business get back to me so that I will inform you the next step to take immediately. I need your full co-operation to make this work out fine because the management is ready to approve the payment to any foreigner, who has correct information of this account which is part of my responsibilities in this project, I will give to you later, if you will be able to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit because this opportunity will never come again in our life.
 
With my position now in the office I can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending to my physical arrival in your country for sharing and investment. I will also use my position and influence to effect legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance documents from the ministries and foreign exchange department. But, only it will cost us small money as to procure such back up documents from the ministries in concern.
 
The funds will be transferred to your account in two parts; we will start the transfer with £5,000,000.00 and after successful transfer of the first part we will then have the balance of the funds transferred to the same account. You should send the information of the account that we’re going to use for the transfer, so that we will start processing the transaction documents in your name as the legal beneficiary by reason of Inheritance.
 
I have worked out modalities for achieving my aim of appointing a next of kin as well as to transfer the money abroad for us to share in the ratio of 60% to me and 30% to you, while we shall collectively donate 5% to any Charity Organization and 5% set aside for any incurable expenses both local and international.
 
I look forward to your earliest reply.
 
Contact me on my Private Email: alanedwards1@live.com
 
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Alan Edward.

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