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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: "DR SMITH MOORE" <smithmoore23@msn.com>
Reply-To: smithmoore23@zwallet.com
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 02:26:43 +0000
Subject: URGENT PROPOSAL

FROM THE DESK OF DR. SMITH MOORE
DIRECTOR, FUNDS CO-ORDINATOR
FINANCE/CONTRACT DEPARTMENT OF
NIGERIA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (N.N.P.C).
V/ISLAND, LAGOS,
NIGERIA.


Dear Friend,



I am the Director, Funds Coordinator of the Finance/Contract Department of
the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). My office is also
saddled with the responsibility of
Screening, categorization and prioritization of projects embarked upon by
NNPC as well as feasibility studies for selected projects and supervising
the projects consultants involved. A breakdown of the fiscal expenditure by
this office as at the end of the fourth fiscal quarter of 2005 indicates
that
the NNPC paid out a whooping sum of US$736M (Seven
Hundred and Thirty Six Million, United States Dollars) to successful
contract beneficiaries. The NNPC is now compiling beneficiaries to be paid
at the first fiscal quarter of 2006. The crux of this letter is that the
finance/contract department of the NNPC deliberately over-inflated the
contract value of the various contracts awarded. In the course of
disbursement, this department has been able to track down the sum of
US$40.5M (Forty Million, Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars) as the
over-invoiced sum. This money is now lying and floating in the NNPC
domiciliary account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). My colleagues
and I now want to quickly transfer this fund to a safe nominate foreign
account for possible investment abroad. We are not allowed as a matter of
government policy to operate any Foreign account because of our status as
civil/public servants. Hence the need to solicit for your full Banking
details to enable us Transfer this money into your account on Swift Code. We
have also evolved a sharing formula as follows:-

(1) 30% for the foreign account owner (2) 60% for l and my colleagues (3)
10% will be set aside to defray all incidental expenses both locally and
internationally during the course of this transaction. Furthermore, we shall
be coming over to your country when the money is finally in your account and
we shall be relying on your advice as regards to investment of our share.
Be informed that, this business is genuine and 100% safe considering the
high-powered government officials involved. Please reply immediately through
my email address;


While looking forward to a healthy business relationship with
You.

Sincerely,

DR. SMITH MOORE



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