joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Mr. Chen Guangyuan" <guangyuan.chen68@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: cheng01@9.cn
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 06:47:45 +0800
Subject: In Good Faith

FROM: MR.CHEN GUANGYUAN
(cheng01@9.cn)

Let me start by introducing myself. I am Mr. Chen Guangyuan, Foreign Operations Manager
of the Bank of China (Hong kong). I have an obscured business suggestion for you.

Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client Ghazi Musa Hassan who was with the Iraqi forces
and also a businessman made a numbered fixed deposit for 12 calendar months, with a
value of Seventeen Million Three Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only into an
account with my branch. Upon maturity several notice was sent to him, even during the
war . Again after the war another notification was sent and still no response came from
him. We later found out that the Ghazi Musa Hassan and his family had been killed
during the war in bomb blast that hit their home. After further investigation it was
also discovered that Ghazi Musa Hassan did not declare any next of kin in his official
papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me the
last time he was at my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So,
Seventeen Million Three Hundred Thousand United State Dollars (US$17,300,000.00) is
still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me
most is that according to the laws of my country at the expiration 7years the funds
will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the
funds. Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a
foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Ghazi Musa Hassan so that you will be able to
receive his funds.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE:

I want you to know that I have had everything planned out so that we shall come out
successful. I will contact my attorney to prepare the necessary document that will back
you up as the next of kin to Ghazi Musa Hassan, all that is required from you at this
stage is for you to provide me with your Full Names and Address so that the attorney
can commence his job. After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will also
file in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and letter of
probate in your favor for the move of the funds to an account that will be provided by
you. There is no risk involved at all in the matter as we are going to adopt a
legalized method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents. Please
endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue. Once the
fund have been transferred to your nominated bank account we shall share in the ratio
of 60% for me, 40% for you. Should you be interested please send me your fullnames and
current residential address and I will prefer you to reach me on this email address
(cheng01@9.cn) which is my private email address and finally after that i shall provide
you with more details of this operation.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Mr. Chen Guangyuan

Anti-fraud resources: