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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: "SUNTRUST BANK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ceo.suntrustbank@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 08:43:05 -0700
Subject: FROM SUN TRUST BANK, USA

SUNTRUST BANK
Baltimore Main Office
120 E Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
United States
Tel: 410-986-1540
 
 
 
Hello dear,
 
 
I hope you are doing fine.
 
 
I am John Douglas,the Account Auditor/Remittance Officer of  Suntrust Bank Baltimore Main Office,
Maryland .United States.
 
 
In the course of auditing some accounts in our bank, I found out that one of the accounts has been
dormant for the past five years with the sum of $15,000.000(Fifteen Million United States Dollars)
in the account.
 
 
I have investigated and found out that the account owner/depositor have passed away sine six years
ago leaving no one as the next-of-kin in the document used to open the account.
 
 
I also discovered that the deceased depositor was from Iran and he died in his Country.
 
 
I want to have these funds myself by transferring it out of our bank.
 
 
I wish to place your name as the beneficiary of US$15,000,000(Fifteen Million United States Dollars)
so that you will receive the funds.
 
 
I want us to do this deal together and have the funds and share it 40% for you, 50% for me and
10% to reimburse ourselves in case of any expenses we may incur in the process of this
transaction.
 
 
However, I assure you that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law.
 
 
The funds I am referring to is right here in our bank floating in suspense account and I want to
transfer it out of our bank to any account you will provide for me.
 
 
I am in the position to put your name in the file as the beneficiary of the funds since that the
deceased beneficiary have no one from his family or anywhere to claim the funds as his next-of-kin.
 
 
I will need you to provide the following information urgently to enable my attorney obtain  all the
relevant legal documents for the fund remittance into your account.
 
 
1) Name:
2) Address:
3) Tel:
4) Age:
5) Sex:
6) Occupation:
7) Copy of any of your identity
 
 
You should keep this transaction very confidential until we finalize and share our proceeds.
 
 
Our Communication will strictly be through email. for the security of our transaction
 
 
I await your prompt response.
 
 
Yours Faithfully,
 
 
Mr. John Douglas
Account Auditor/Remittance Officer
Suntrust Bank, Baltimore Main Office, Maryland United States

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