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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: "Mr. Ponleu Meake" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ponleumk@foxmail.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2017 21:55:59 -0700
Subject: RE: I AWAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Hello,
 
I am Mr. Ponleu Meake, personal Account Manager to a deceased customer of our bank Foreign Trade Bank Branch Phnom Penh, that share the same last name as yours, a national of your country who according to details, died in the tsunami & earthquake disaster on the East Coast of Japan dated March 11th, 2011, along with his wife and their three children:  https://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html .   https://www.facebook.com/titanka/videos/1232333693520539/
 
Since then I have made several inquiries to locate any of my client's extended relations in regards to claim the sum of  US$26,586,200.00 Million in a Fix deposit account with our bank here in Cambodia but all to no avail. After the death of my client, the Board of Directors of  my Bank adopted a resolution and mandated to see his next of kin for the payment of this money or forfeit the  money to the Bank as an abandoned Estate. And this will happen after the expiration of a period given for the next of kin to surface. It was while I was searching for his family records that I came across your contact. I have searched through almost all the genealogy-site that you can think of and all the possible places I thought my clients would have possibly had a family member but to no avail.
 
By virtue of my brief and my closeness to the deceased, I am very much aware of my client's financial standing and the Bank account he operates here in my country. I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client and the sole beneficiary of his estate, so that you are be paid the funds left in his bank account, hence I contacted you, I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin; the bank needs only the facts as presented legally. The rest is between you and I and with my guide we can have the money paid into your account, once this is done we shall both share the funds. 50% to me and 50% to you.
 
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any Breach of law. For more details contact me  with your private telephone and fax numbers for easy communication and oral discussion.
 
 
Regards,
Mr. Ponleu Meake

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