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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: Tony Brown <tonybrown332@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2022 02:47:11 -0700
Subject: PRIVATE AND HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL


Dear Partner
PRIVATE AND HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL


I am Sir. Tony Brown - Agent Officer of the Prudential Regulation
Authority. Banking at BANK OF ENGLAND (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk)
Consulting with some of the well-known Investment Private Banking here in
the United Kingdom. I am sending you this message which I indulge you to
read carefully for better understanding.

I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he
placed with private bank management 12 years ago. The content of this
communication has to be treated with utmost confidentiality, to avoid
unnecessary complications.
I contacted you independently of our investigation knowing you share the
same last names with him and no one is informed of this communication, I
would like to intimate you about certain facts that I believe would be of
interest to you.

One of our accounts with a holding balance of £4.6 Million GBP (Four
Million Six Hundred Thousand Great British Pound Sterling) has been dormant
for some years, the owner died of a heart attack in Cannes South of France
without any registered next of kin, I knew about this because I was the
officer assigned to his case. Several efforts were made to find his
extended family through his embassy but it was without success.

According to the Government Law here, at the expiration of 13 years, the
fund will revert to the ownership of the British Government, if nobody
applies to claim the fund.

My proposition to you is to present you to the investment private bank as
the Next of kin of my late client Engineer Charles funds to enable the
investment private bank to pay the £4.6 Million British Pound to you as his
beneficiary so that we can share the amount on a mutually agreed percentage
of 50% for me 50% for you. Upon your agreement to my proposal to partner
with me in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I have brought before
you. I am willing to hire an Attorney here in the United Kingdom, to have
all legal documents concerning this claim procured, which will present you
as the surviving next of kin to his deposited funds.

All legal documents to backup your claim will be provided and paid for by
me. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us to see this
transaction through. I will also guarantee you that this will be executed
under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law here in the UK or in your country. If you are interested in these
transactions, Please do contact me so that I can give you comprehensive
details on how to proceed to the next step.

However, I want you to understand something. It is only an outsider to the
banking world who finds the internal politics of the banking world
aberrational. The world of private banking especially is fraught with huge
rewards for those who occupy certain offices and oversee certain portfolios.

The Bank has no single idea about the history or nature of the deposit.
They are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party
that comes forward.

I will indulge you at this point to understand that this is privileged
information and must be strictly confidential.

Your immediate response will be highly appreciated.

Regards,
Sir. Tony Brown.
Deputy Agent Prudential Regulations

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