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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: "John Wills" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jwillsukw@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:38:51 +0100
Subject: Re: Inheritance Claims.

>From Mr. John Wills,
Private Tel #:  +44 703 192 3605
 
 
How are you and your family? I believe you received my letter in your best mood today; my name is Mr. John Wills, Head of Primeline NatWest Bank Plc London. I decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described here-under for both of us mutual benefit and hope you will keep it a top secret because of the nature of the transaction, During the course of our bank year auditing, I discovered an unclaimed /abandoned fund, sum total of 22,300,000 GBP (Twenty two million three hundred thousand British Pounds sterling) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers (Late Mr. Donald Arthur Peterson) an American who unfortunately lost his life with his wife, in a plane crash of United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed in Southwest Pennsylvania in September 11,2001.
 
 
After going through his file in our bank, I discovered that he did not specify any next of kin or will beneficiary to the fund. I sincerely seek your consent to present you as the next of kin / will beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at 22.3 Million British Pounds Sterling will be disbursed to you, which we will share in these percentage ratio; 60% for me and 40% for you.
 
 
All that I require is your sincere co-operation; trust & utmost confidentiality to enable us conduct this transaction successfully. I assure you that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law both in your country and here in London when the fund is transferred to your bank account.
 
 
Upon consideration and acceptance of this offer, please proceed immediately and send to me the below information,
 
 
Your Full Name,
Contact Address,
Direct Mobile/telephone Number.
 
 
This information will enable me to upload your data into our bank database to reflect in the bank network system that you are the named next of kin/will beneficiary of this fund, then I will guide you on communication with the bank for onward transfer of the fund to you, please note that we have few days to carry out this deal.
 
 
Thanks in anticipation of your urgent response.
 
 
Regards,
 
 
Mr. John Wills.
Head of Primeline,
NatWest Bank Plc.

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