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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: Penny Hughes <officialsm1984@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2012 15:16:12 +0100 (BST)
Subject: From: Penny Hughes





From:  Penny Hughes
Chief Executive, Manager
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) UK
 
Attn: Dear,
 
I know that this e-mail will come to you as a surprise but, however strange or surprising this contact might seem to you as we have not met personally or had any dealings with you in the past. I must apologize for intruding into your private email address, but I humbly ask that you take due consideration of its importance and immense benefit it will be to you. Furthermore, I am Penny Hughes Chief Executive, Manager of  a branch of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) United Kingdom.
 
There is an account opened in this bank in 2008 and since 2008 nobody has operated on this account. Again after going through some files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing.. The owner of this account was Mr. Jonas. B. Andreas, a foreigner and a miner at Kruger Gold Co Pty Ltd United State He was a geologist by profession and he died since 2009. No other person knows about this account or anything about it. The account has no other beneficiary/next of kin and my investigation proved to me as much.   The amount involved is (18.000.000..00 BGP) Eighteen million Great British Pounds.
 
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved for transfer to a local bank here, but can only be approved for transfer to any foreign account because the money is in Great British Pounds and the former owner of the account Mr. Jonas B. Andreas was a foreigner too.  I want seal this business with you.
 
Your role will be to provide an off-shore account where this money will be transfer and to act as the next of kin to the former owner of this account. I also want to know if it will be possible for you to come down here in London to enable us sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive this money into a foreign account or any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. And I will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other investments purpose; I am involving in this transaction because of the above reasons. I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner, who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you later.
 
Please reply urgently to my private address ( officialsm1984@gmail.com ) so that I will inform you the next step to take immediately.
 
I am waiting for your prompt reply.
 
Best regards,
Penny Hughes
Chief Executive, Manager
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) UK.

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