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: "Manager 2nd" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sams1902@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 05:18:33 -0800
Subject: Urgent Response

Union Bank Group
 
Good Day.
 
My name is Samuel Smith, I am a senior partner in the Technical Advisory Board of Union Bank Plc  As We are conducting a standard process investigation on behalf of UNION BANK Nig PLC The International Banking conglomerate.
 
This investigation involves a client who shares the same surname with you and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this client at Union Bank Plc with sum of Twelve Million United States Dollars. ($12, 000, 000, 00). The Private Banking arm of Allied Irish Bank (AIB). The client died in testate and nominated no successor in title over the investments made with the bank. I contact you independently of our investigation and no one is informed of this communication.
 
I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you. You share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct the Bank to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you 50/50. I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit. Although civil servant are not allowed to operate domiciliary account in my country.  I am aware of the consequences of this proposal and I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.
 
Do not destroy my career because you do not approve my proposal. You may not know this offer. I am not a criminal, and what I do. I do not find it against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones in a lifetime. I have family and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities of life.
 
If you give me positive signals, I will initiate this process onwards a conclusion. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained, and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold.
 
This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. I believe that proceed of the transfer into your bank account after you have been approved and acknowledge as beneficiary of the account is just five banking working days.
 
Please confirm below information in your next reply. I will include the information with text of application to the bank in your name.
 
First Name...............
 
Last Name................
 
Contact Address..........
 
Contact Tel..............
 
Sex Age..................
 
 
If we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting soon.
 
Kind regards.
Mr. Samuel Smith.
 

Anti-fraud resources: