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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: "Barrister Y. Y. Lee" <johnsonokenwa@webpostia.com>
Reply-To: barr.daviddangote@info.al
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 12:55:43 +0800
Subject: DIRECTED TO YOU FOR URGENT ATTENTION




Hello!!

I am Barr. Y. Y Lee, accredited lawyers with Barclays Bank Plc, Japan
Branch. The personal attorney/sole executor to Mr. Robert………….(Late) who
is a Contractor with OIL COMPANIES who died in a plane crash with his
immediate family on the 5th of November 2000, this is a personal letter
directed to only you.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

He has left behind a deposit of Ninety Million United States Dollars
(USD90 million) with Barclays Bank Plc, Japan Branch, After the death of
my client, the management of the bank called me for a meeting as his
legal adviser to provide his next of kin who should inherit his fortune;
this according to the policy of the bank in such circumstances. Since the
death of my client, I have written several letters to the Embassy with
intent to locate any of his extended relatives in your Country whom shall
be Claimants/beneficiaries of the deposited fund and all such efforts have
been to no avail. I had to appeal to management of the bank for patience
until I am able to locate the relatives

Now we had another meeting yesterday on the same issue and the bank
resolved and agreed to confiscation his money in line with existing law of
the institution. Well I have reasoned very professionally and I can use a
legal means to present a next of kin of my deceased client having known
all it requires to successfully accomplish the claim.

This is legally possible and would be done in accordance with the laws of
the land. On this note I decided to search for a credible person and
finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you,
that I may, with your consent, present you to the bank as my late client's
family member so as to enable provide you all the documentation to qualify
you to put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin to my
client. I find this possible for the fuller reasons that you are of the
same nationality and you bear a similar last name with my late client
making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity. I have
all vital documents that would confer you the legal right to make this
claim and would make them available to you so that the proceeds of this
bank account valued at USD90.million can be paid to you before it gets
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank

However, I do sympathize with the death of my client but I think it is an
opportunity and unprofitable for his funds to be wasted to the Bank. My
aim is to retrieve this funds and let it be claimed by the deceased family
name, etc. for this I seek your assistance since I have been unable to
locate the relatives for the past 6years now.

I therefore wish to seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of
the deceased since you have the same last name has giving you the
advantage so that the proceeds of this account can be paid, I guarantee
that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law. Please reply urgently for more
information,

I shall give you my contact phone upon your reply,


Barrister Y. Y. Lee
Barclays Bank Plc
Japan

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