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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: ian reed <ian.reed381@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <ian.reed2006@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:20:33 -0500
Subject: From Ian Reed



Dear Friend, Compliments of the day, Before proceeding, I wish to introduce myself to you I IAN REEDattorney to a deceased Immigrant Mr Andreas Schranner,property magnate who was based in the U.K., who happens to be my client.On the 25th of July 2000, my client, his wife Maria,their daughter Andrea Eich,her husband Christian, and their children Katharina and Maximilian all died in the Air France concord plane crash bound for New York in their plan for a world cruise. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm.Since then I have been managing his properties here in the U.K. andsome others which he put out for sale. The properties which have long been put out on sale have now been paid for and now the money paid has long been deposited into his bank account . I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and estate left behind by my client before they get seized or declared unserviceable by hisbank.Particularly, the bank has issued me with a notice to provide any of his next of kin or have the account confisticated within a short period of time. my late client has an account valued at Fifty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (55.5 Million USD).Since I have been unsuccessful in locating any of my clients relatives for some time now and with no one coming forward since my client passed on and with the bank now giving me a deadline, I now seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my deceased client, so that the proceeds of his account valued at Fifty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (55.5 Million USD). Only can be paid to you. This I intend we share amongst ourselves.I have all the necessary information that can be usedto back up any Claim that we may make and I can assure you that you shall be paid the amount as the next of kin to my late client.All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this dealthrough. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimatearrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Trust me as his attorney that this is a risk-free transaction. Pls get back to me immediately with the following information: 1)Your full names and contact address. 2)Telephone and fax numbers Upon receipt of this information,we shall discuss further about this transaction. Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation. Best Regards. IAN REED
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