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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: "Alberto Salgado." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <albertosalgado202@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2016 09:07:48 +0200
Subject: DEAR FRIEND, READ AND GET BACK TO ME,

1 Oficina 2A, Pla?a de Cardona, 11, 08006 Barcelona
Ref:   ES/283-55/7PK
   
                                   
Dear Friend,
My name is Mr. Alberto Salgado, an attorney with Salgado Abogados. Before I proceed I must  apologize for this unsolicited letter to you. I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional 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, Mr. Manfred, a business magnate who  lived in Spain for thirteen years  and died together with his family in the disaster -Zyklon Nargis in Myanmar in May 2008.
Before his death, he deposited the sum of $10.3M (Ten Million, Three Hundred Thousand Dollars) 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 he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper works of his deposit.
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I would like you to stand as the next of kin to Mr. Manfred, since you both bears the same last name so that the funds will be released to you. With my position as his lawyer, I will prepare every legal document that will assist your claim and facilitate the release of the funds to you.
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 funds is released to you, we shall share it in the ratio of 40% for me, 40% for you and 20% for charity organazations.
Kindly send your response to my private email address: albertosalgado204@gmail.com  Please kindly get back to me for more information.
Yours faithfully,
Alberto Salgado.
 

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