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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: CITI BANK HANOVER SQUARE LONDON <citibankhanoversquarelondon@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2017 15:36:09 +0100
Subject: YOUR RESPONSE


Dear Friend,

My name is Margaret Blair McMullan. I write to solicit for your assistance
as I’m totally devastated over the death of my caring/loving husband Mr.
James McMullan who was killed in Saturday night’s shocking attack in London
Bridge. My late husband was a businessman, he was everything to me and
staying in the house without him keeps me unhappy and distraught hence I
intend to relocate out of the country to start a new life.

I, being Mr. James McMullan’s only surviving sole inheritor of his Estate
including a deposited fund in the sum of USD20,000,000 with Halifax Bank,
London seek for a Trustee like you who will help me to receive the
deposited fund for my up-keep and/or safe-keeping and onward establishment
of McMullan Charity Home which has been my husband’s wish/dream.

On this ground, I decided to contact you for the assistance. It may
interest you to know that you will be legalized and normalized as the
beneficiary of my husband’s deposited fund in accordance with British
Government Acquisition/Inheritance Policy at the court of law.

For your assistance in receiving the deposited fund and the Estate of My
late husband, you shall be entitled to 45% proceeds of Deposited Fund while
5% is mapped out for expenses and 50% for my up-keep respectively.

Therefore, all I need from you are viz: your full name, contact address and
telephone number to enable the family Legal Attorney legalize and normalize
as the beneficiary of my late husband’s deposited fund and all his estate.

All my details will be given to you upon request including my late
husband’s will and identification if need be while I wait for your urgent
reply.

Thank you.

Margaret Blair McMullan.
mmcmullan880@yahoo.com

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