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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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Fraud email example:

From: "perdesen Charles" <perdesen_c@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: perdesen2004@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 08:57:26 +0000
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE

MR.Mr Charles Perdesen
241 The Hornbeams, London
IMPERATIVE AND PRIVATE
I am contacting you on business transfer of a huge sum
of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a
transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that
all will be well at the end of the day.
We decided to contact you due to the urgency of this
transaction. PROPOSITION; we discovered an abandoned
sum of US$7,500,000.00 (Seven Million Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars) in an account that
belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along
with his entire family. Since his death, none of his
next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay
claims for this money as the heir.
We cannot release the fund from his account unless
someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon
this discovery, we now seek your permission to have
you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all
documentations will be carefully worked out by us for
the funds (US$7,500,000.00) to be released in your
favor as the beneficiary's next of kin. It may
interest you to know that we have secured from the
probate an order of madamus to locate any of deceased
beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this
message in acceptance of our mutual business
endeavor by furnishing me with the following;
1. Your name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers
These requirements will enable us file letter of claim
to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals
in your favor before the transfer can
be made. We shall be compensating you with a million
dollars on final conclusion of this project, while the
rest shall be for us. If this proposal is acceptable
by you, please response immediately,
I await your urgent response.
Regards,
Mr.Charles Perdesen

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