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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: Gaius Chikere <gaiuschikere@eriga.lv>
Reply-To: gaiuschikere2@fastermail.com
Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 13:27:38 +0300
Subject: WITH TRUST

DEAR SIR,


MY NAME IS MR.GAIUS CHIKERE . THE MANAGER

CREDIT AND FOREIGN BILLS OF UNION BANK PLC. I

AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF

MY BANK WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH (ETHIOPIAN

AIRLINE 961) WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABROAD.

SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY

HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN INTEREST TO SEE THE

NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO

ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF US$10.5M

(TEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED

STATES DOLLARS) WHICH HAS BEEN WITH MY BANK

FOR A VERY LONG TIME.ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED

TO SEEK FOR WHOSE NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE

NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE

NEXT OF KIN. IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR

CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY`S FOREIGN TRADE

MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED BY PROVIDENCE

THAT YOU COULD BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN. THE

REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN

THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT

THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A NIGERIAN

CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO FOREIGNER.

I AGREED THAT 30%OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU

AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN RESPECT OF PROVIDING

AN ACCOUNT,WHILE THE REST WILL BE FOR ME,

THEREAFTER,I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR

DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR

RETIREMENT.THEREFORE, TO FACILITATE THE

IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR

ACCOUNT AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO

THE BANK AS A RELATION TO THE DECEASED

INDICATING YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND

FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION

WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED. UPON THE

RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY,

I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL THE NEXT STEP

TO TAKE. I
WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT

THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH-FREE AND THAT YOU

SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE

REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE

TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME

IMMEDIATELY THROUGH THIS EMAIL:

(gaiuschikere2@fastermail.com) AS SOON AS YOU

RECEIVE THIS LETTER TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YOUR RESPECTFULLY,
MR.GAIUS CHIKERE



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