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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: Charlotte Elliot <nzampurity@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 04:28:30 -0700
Subject: Attention

I am Ms. Charlotte Elliot the Head of Private Banking at BNY Mellon. I'm a
very good friend of the late Engr. Richard D Petrelli, Who is a national of
our country? He died on the 7th of July 2013 in a motor accident here in
New York. On July 20th, 2014, and Oil consultant with the American
Petroleum corporation made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve
calendar months, valued at US$155,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty-Five
Million, United States Dollars) After these several unsuccessful attempts
to locate his relatives, I decided to trace his relatives over the internet
but no luck until a friend of mine who does not want Her name to be
revealed said I should contact you that She trusted you to be honest and
trustworthy personality I can trust these funds on instead of blowing an
alarm for the American Government to make claims of this a huge amount of
money labored and also rightfully belongs to your countryman, Late Engr.
Richard D Petrelli. (He was a good man and has always believed to build one
of the largest American the chemical industry here in New York unknowingly
to Him that He will die soon)

I contacted you to assist in repatriating the funds left behind before they
get confiscated or declared here in my bank where the deceased had an
account valued at about US$155,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty-Five
Million, united states dollars) Consequently, the bank issued me a notice
to provide the next of kin or have his account was confiscated within a
short time. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for
over some years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin
of the deceased since you are a trustworthy person so that the processing
of the account valued at US$155,000,000.00 can be paid to you for both of
us to share the funds; 50% for me and 50% to you.

With your Cooperation and assistance, I will secure all necessary legal
basic documents that can be used to back up the claim in your favor All I
require is your honest/Sincere cooperation to enable us to see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please
confirm the listed information below, to enable us to discuss further, and
thanks for your understanding of my proposal.

Name:
Address:
Phone #:
Profession:

Thanks for your kind cooperation

Miss. Charlotte Elliot
Head of Private Banking
BNY Mellon Bank New York

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