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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?B?IkdhYnJpZWxhIEpha3ViY29277+9Ig==?=
<davidjohanson@telecom.cz>
Reply-To: davidjohanson22@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:19:34 GMT
Subject: Assistance




Hsbc Bank Plc
Main Street
Hawes DL8 3QN =2C London =

Banks =26 Financial Institutions =


This mail might come to you as a surprise and the temptation to ignore i=
t as serious could come into your mind but please consider it with a div=
ine wish and accept it with a deep sense of humility=2E Before proceedin=
g=2C I wish to introduce myself to you=3B I am David Johanson a staff of=
Hsbc Bank plc London=2E I am the head of the accounts department=2EI am=
pleased to get across to you for a very urgent and profitable business =
proposal which I believe will profit the both of us after completion=2E =
I contacted you after a careful thought that you might be capable of han=
dling this business transaction=2C which i explained below=2E The sum of=
( =A318=2C500=2C000=2E00 Million Pounds)=2C has been floating as unclai=
med since 2000 in my bank as all efforts to get across the relatives of =
our client who deposited the money have hit the stones=2E

All attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless=2E My position here=
at my office requires me to investigate and I therefore made further in=
vestigations and discovered that Late Mrs=2E Allyson Aloysius=2C did not=
declare any next of kin or relation in all his official documents=2C in=
cluding his bank deposit paperwork in my bank=2EAccording to the British=
Law=2E The money will revert to the ownership of the British government=
if nobody applies to claim the fund=2E To avoid this money being sent t=
o the British treasury as unclaimed funds=2C I have decided to seek your=
assistance to have you stand as his next of kin so that the said fund (=
=A3 18=2C500=2C000=2E00 million pounds)=2C would be released in your na=
me as the next of kin and paid into your account=2E

All documents and proof that will have you claim this fund will be forwa=
rded to you without any stress upon your response to this mail more soon=
=2C i want to inform you that i have unanimously agreed to offer you (=A3=
6m) of the total sum for the assistance and role you are going to play i=
n this transaction=2C(=A34m)will be given to charity organisations in yo=
ur country with your supervision while the remaining will be for me=2E P=
lease send your confidential telephone and fax number in your reply to t=
his business transaction=2EPLEASE CHANNEL YOUR RESPONSE TO =3A davidjoha=
nson22=40yahoo=2Ecom=2Ehk

Kind Regards=2C
Mr=2EDavid Johanson
ACCOUNTS OFFICER =2E


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