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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: sunny kelly <sunnykelly55@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2005 20:21:30 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: attention


DEAR PARTNER,
MY NAME IS MR.SUNNY. KELLY.
THE MANAGER CREDIT AND
FOREIGN BILLS OF ECOBANK OF NIGERIA. I AM WRITING IN
RESPECT OF FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK WITH ACCOUNT
UMBER 14-255-2004/utb/t 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$15.5M (FIFTEEN 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 YOUR NAME 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 A FOREIGNER. I AGREED THAT 30%OF THIS
MONEY WOULD BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN RESPECT
OF PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT, WHILE 10% WOULD TAKE CARE OF
ANY UNFORSEEN EXPENSES THAT MAY ARISE AND THE REST
WILL BE FOR ME,
THEREAFTER, I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT
AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT. IN OTHER, TO FACIL
ITATE 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 BANK
NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, 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 APPLICATION AND 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 AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER. T
TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.
YOURS RESPECTFULLY,
CONTACT EMAIL -sunnykelly11@yahoo.co.uk
MR.SUNNY. KELLY.
(MANAGER CREDIT AND FOREIGN BILLS OF ECOBANK OF
NIGERIA)




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