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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: Garry Reynolds <garryreynolds12@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2014 02:56:12 +0100
Subject: Treat with UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY


Hello Shane A. Hooper,

I am sorry if this mail offends your personality, thus, a pre-meditated
contact, trust and honour which I bestow on your
personality. Please read through this mail I urge you. I need your help to
close a late client's account in my bank here in London UK
worth £7.5 Million GBP (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Great
Britain Pounds) only.

I am therefore writing you to request that you provide me
information/comments on any or all of the four issues as regards
nominating you to inherit the fund left behind by this client. You are
hence being contacted to be legally nominated as next of kin
(inheritor) to this client after all inquiries and secret investigation
conducted by me has yielded results showing that there
is no next of kin.

Now, this mail is coming to you in recognition of the fact that you have
the same last name to this client( Hooper). And as such it will be easy to
establish you as the available next of kin. You are required therefore to
answer these questions to enable me ascertain your level of
interest:

(1) Can you confirm your willingness to accept this inheritance if you are
legally and legitimately nominated and approved to stand as
inheritor to this huge investment?
(2) Will you be willing to see to the successful transfer of the fund from
my bank to your account once the legitimization is done and you
are made the NEXT OF KIN to the account owner?
(3) Do you have the capacity to receive and safeguard this fund if it is
transferred to you?
(4) Will you be willing to accept 30% of the fund and release the balance
of 50% to me and 20% for purpose of charity?

It is pertinent that you inform me as soon as possible whether or not you
are interested in the offer. You must appreciate that I am
constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point.

Contact me immediately on <garryreynolds08@gmail.com>
if you're interested for details of how we can go about it. Treat this as
strictly CONFIDENTIAL matter.

Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.

God bless you and my kind regards,
Mr. Garry Reynolds

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