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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: Lani Hillebrand <lanihi@hotmail.co.za>
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 14:04:48 -0800
Subject: Barrister Grey Manbees.





From: grey manbees
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 12:07 AM
To: lani hillebrand
Subject: Details.


Dear Lani Hillebrand,

Thanks for your attention.

I contacted you in this matter base on the fact that you bear the same surname with my late client and of the same nationality since I had sought for the relatives without success and instead of this fund being confisticated by the Finance Firm as I did mentioned in my proposal or being claimed by some unscrupulous person.

As the content of your mail reads, note that all I want from you is to stand as a next of kin and beneficiary to the unclaimed estate of my deceased client.

The next of kinship as stated by the inheritnace law, is not limited to relations of the deceaced nor is it confided to the circuit of parental relationship, rather it is by choice of the benefactor as regards to whom he wish to will it to (beneficiary) either formally by write up ,or informally by secret information disclosure to beneficiary, be him/ her business partner, relation, kinsmen, friend or well wisher, therefore by virtue of the above stated,I seek consent to present you as the next of kin to my late client since the supposed next of kin also died along with him.

You should note that all the original documents that will be needed in a transaction of this nature ascertaining you as the bonafide beneficary and next of kin to my late client will duely and legally be obtained and issued in your names and favour. I do not know you but I feel you will be human enough to be honest to me at least for bringing you into a deal capable of fetching something tangible.

I have done everything possible to trace the relatives of my late client without any luck, most of his properties here were vandalised by hoodlums and some over grown by weeds as there is no one to look after them. It was until the finance firm with the said deposit invited me to their office and mandated me as his attorney here in Togo to locate and present to them his next of kin for the release of his outstanding fund with them. It's upon this that I decided to contact you as bearing the same surname in order to assist me in putting claims to this fund for the release and transfer.

Therefore, in a situation of this kind, it's not published and the respective financial institution only informs the customer's attorney as the case may be and then only waits for the real heir to show up as the availability of such funds are expected to be in he late "customer's will " which would be the only source of knowledge of it by anybody who is entitle to such estate but the real heir was also involved in the accident.

If this fund is not claimed,it will be re-deposited into the treasury of the finance firm as unclaimed bill which be shared among the board of directors due to high level of corruption here and that will become history.

There is nothing to worry about as everything is legal with documentaions,it is my duty to provide the next of kin and whosoever I approve as the next of kin will become the beneficairy and receive the fund.

The most important issue to be considered now is trust and confidence in this matter hence I plead this should be our watch word through out this transaction and I can fully assure you on my own part that as much as I work this with you,I will always remain the same.

Meanwhile, you have to furnish me with your full details such as AGE, PROFESSION and FAX NUMBER .

Hence I will proceed in submiting the same to the finance firm in presenting you as the sole next of kin to my late client for the subsequent release of the deposit to you in line with their routine process.

In pursuance of our collective objective, I will not fail to remind you that your maximum co-operation and sense of belonging are required as well to enhance a positive impact towards the conclusive end of this matter.

You can call me as soon as possible for further directives and guideline.

Very truly yours,

Grey Manbees (ESQ).

TEL: +228 814 08 99.

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