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: "Smith & Williamson Holdings Limited" <rlaineduke@gmail.com>
Reply-To: drwalterlewis@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2021 14:10:39 +0100
Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?Can_You_Handle_=C2=A37_Million_British_Pounds=3F?=


Smith & Williamson Holdings Limited.
Dr Walter Lewis,Auditor General.
Address: 25 Moorgate, London EC2R 6AY, United Kingdom
Email; drwalterlewis@gmail.com

Dear Friend,

I am Dr Walter Lewis, the Auditor General, Smith & Williamson Holdings
Limited, United Kingdom. In the course of my auditing, I discovered a
floating fund in an account, which was opened in 1999 belonging to a dead
foreigner who died in 2013. I have been able to contact the Late account
holder’s attorney; but every effort made to track any member of his family
or next of kin has since failed hence I got in contact with you to stand as
his next of kin since you bear the same last surname name. He died leaving
no heir or a will. Since his attorney is aware, you will contact his
attorney since he has all the legal documents backing the fund.

My intention is to transfer this sum of £7,000,000.00 British Pounds only,
in the aforementioned account to a safe account overseas. I am therefore
proposing that you quietly partner with me and provide an account or set up
a new one that will serve the purpose of receiving this fund. For your
assistance in this venture, I am ready to part with a good percentage of
the entire funds. We will share the funds in the proportion of 60% for you,
10% for the attorney, 20% for me and 10% will be donated to Charitable
Organizations. After going through the deceased person’s records and files,
I discovered that:

(1) No one has operated this account since 1999.
(2) He died without an heir; hence the money has been floating.
(3) No other person knows about this account apart from the attorney and
there was no beneficiary. That is why every process has to go through the
attorney.

If I do not remit this money urgently, it would be forfeited and
subsequently converted to company’s funds, which will benefit only the
directors of my firm. This money can be approved to you legally as with all
the necessary documentary approvals in your name. However, you would be
required to show some proof of claim, which the attorney will provide you
with and also guide you on how to make your applications.

In case you are willing to stand as a next of kin to our late client do
provide your bank details to me.

Below is the information needed from you.

Name;.............
Home Address...............
Bank Detals..............
Driving License................
Occupation..............
Age...............
Phone Number for WhaTssAAP.

Please do give me a reply so that I can send you details information on the
modalities of my proposition. I completely trust you to keep this
proposition absolutely confidential, I look forward to your prompt response.

Best Regards,

Dr.Walter Lewis
Auditor General,
Smith & Williamson Holdings Limited,
London, United Kingdom.

Anti-fraud resources: