joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
 Free trial for 30 days
   jwSpamSpy
Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Michael" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michaellpylel@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2017 15:30:26 +0200
Subject: Business Relations Manager

I am Michael L. Pyle, Business Relations Manager for ICICI Bank UK PLC, i am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client with similar last name and an investment placed under our banks management. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this letter confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this letter. I contact you independently and no one is informed of this communication. I seek your collaboration based on the fact that I have exclusive access to the deceased file, I want you to come forth as the beneficiary of the deceased funds. Please know that the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over twenty-two million three hundred fifty thousand United States Dollars. Ending of-2016, he instructed that the principal sum (eighteen million three hundred fifty thousand United States Dollars) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong. We
got in touch with a spec

However Dah Sing Bank got in touch with us this year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that late. Alfred was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died intestate. He has no next of kin and the reason I am writing you is because you are of the same similar last name.

Nobody is going to get into any future problem; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and as a banker I see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily. I would like you to understand that I have a wife and children. I send you this letter not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please pardon my writing mistakes. I shall be expecting your mail response so as to furnish you more detail. Thanks.

Please get back to me immediately via email.

I await your response.

Best Regards,
Michael L. Pyle.

Anti-fraud resources: