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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: Mr Godwin Ovia <godwinovia@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2012 16:48:00 +0100
Subject: FOR MY BEST FRIEND

Barr. Godwin Ovia
Email: godwinovia@yahoo.com
9th of October, 2012

FOR MY BEST FRIEND

Before I proceed, I must first apologize for this unsolicited letter
to you. I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of
approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize
the need for my action. My name is Mr. Godwin Ovia, a legal consultant
based in Europe. I got your contact information through your Country
world record while searching for a last name similar to my late client
Engr. Khamis Mohammad; an expatriate engineer/contractor who worked in
Kuwait Oil Firm, for many years,before he died along with his family
during the Tsunami catastrophe when they went for a holiday in Asia,
which occurred on Monday 27 December, 2004.

Before his death, on my advice as his lawyer he deposited the sum of
$18.6M (EIGHTEEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) cash with a
bank in Spain. Now, the bank has mandated me to present any of his
family member heir/inheritor for claims, before the fund gets
confiscated or reverts to the HM Revenue & Customs treasury as
unserviceable account. So I decided to search for any of my late
client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as he did not
declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the
official paper works of his deposit Eng. Khamis Mohammad was my
private client.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as
a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Eng. Khamis Mohammad, since
you both share the same last name so that the funds will be released
to you. With my position as his lawyer, I will now place your
name as the next of kin to my late client. I will prepare every
relevant document that will assist your claims. Note that this
transaction is 100% risk free; there is no atom of risk in connection
to this project as I have worked out all modalities to complete the
transaction
successfully, besides, as a lawyer I have a license to protect.

Once the funds is released to you, we have to discuss what percentage
you have to give me for my involvement. If this proposal does offend
your moral values please pardon me otherwise reply via my private
email address: (godwinovia@yahoo.com) for further clarification.

Please be kind to get back to me if you are not interested so that I
can further my search for another partner.

Best Regards
Barr. Godwin Ovia, Esq.

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