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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: "Mrs. Sharon S. Chao" (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:40:25 +0100
Subject: Hello Beloved,

Hello Beloved,

I am Mrs.Sharon S. Chao the wife of the late Mr. Richard Chao. I am an Indonesian American Citizen.

My husband worked with the Brunei Shell Petroleum Co Sdn Bhd (BSP) for twenty years before he died

in 2010.

We were married for ten years without a child. My Husband died after a brief illness that lasted

for only two weeks. Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial

home. When my late husband was alive we deposited the sum of $15.2 million with a bank which I will

tell you later. The bank management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to sign for the

release of this fund or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my

behalf if I cannot come over.

Presently, I'm in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer. My

doctor has told me that I have only a few months to live. It is my last wish to see this money

distributed to charity organizations, because my husband, relatives and friends have plundered so

much of my wealth since my illness, I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge

responsibility to any of them.

Please, I'm seeking for any honest person who will get the Funds from the Bank. And use this money

to fund the poor, orphanages, widows and charity organizations.
I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and I don't want

my husband's hard earned money to be misused by his greedy relatives.
I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner. Hence the reason for

taking this bold decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going if I die, due to

the state of my health. I cannot communicate by phone because my illness has affected my throat. I

prefer to communicate by email.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact details of my lawyer who is conversant

with the unclaimed funds and my present situation. However I shall forward to you the bank details

with the letter I will give you as she will be the one to assist you in laying claims for these

funds.

Above all, I wish to assure you that the funds in question are not an act of Terrorist Funding,

neither Money Laundering nor Drug-funding. Thus, the transfer will follow the normal protocol of

funds transfer, backed up with its papers so that you will not encounter any difficulties/problems

with your Federal Monetary Control authorities. Contact me with my private email

(mrssharonchao@gmail.com) or you can drop your E-mail address with me.

Thanks
Yours Truly,
Mrs. Sharon S. Chao



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