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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: "Barr Fernando Gomez" (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 01:20:24 +0100
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED

Dear Partner,
My name is Barr. Fernando Gomez, an attorney with Amucio Abogado S.L. Before I proceed, I must first make an apology for this unsolicited letter to you. I am conscious that this is certainly not a predictable way of approach to foster a relationship of trust but because of the circumstances and urgency surrounding this claim. Actually, I got your contact information through your country’s public records while searching for a last name similar to my late client,
  Mrs. Halina, a business magnate who lived in Spain for Thirty years; she died along with her family in a car accident along Madrid express road, which occurred on Monday 27 December 2004.
Before her death, she deposited the sum of $6.5M (Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars Only) with a finance house here in Spain. The finance house has mandated me to present any family heir/inheritor for claim before the fund gets confiscated as an unclaimed fund. So I decided to search for any of my late client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as she did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper works of her deposit.
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you to stand as the next of kin to Mrs. Halina, since you both share the same last name so that the money will be released to you. With my position as her lawyer, I will prepare every legal document that will assist your claim, and facilitate the release of the fund into the account you are going to provide to them.
Note that this transaction is 100% risk free and legal. There is no atom of risk in connection to this business as I have worked out all modalities to complete the transaction successfully. Once the money is released to you, we shall share it in the ratio of 50% for me, 40% for you as your benefit and 10% for any expenses involved in the process of this transaction. Kindly send your response to my private email address: fernandogomezz147@gmail.com
Please kindly get back to me if you are not willing to collaborate with me.
Kindest Regards,
Barr Fernando Gomez

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