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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: Paul Zulu <paulzulu1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <paulzulu@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:40:57 +0100
Subject: FROM WEMA BANK PLC {Very Confidential}



FROM MR. PAUL ZULUWEMA BANK PLC NIGERIA
I am Mr. Paul Zulu, the clerk in charge of auditing and accounting section of WEMA BANK PLC in west Africa with due respect and regard, I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end of the transaction. The deceased customer is a national of your country, who used to work with Chevron oil company in Nigeria, On the 23rd day of October, 2005,with his entire family were involved in a jet plane crash shortly after take-off from Lagos , which claimed the lives of about 117 passengers including my client and his entire family, unfortunately they all lost their lives.
Since then my bank made several inquiries to establish contact with any of his relation without success. As the account officer to the above mentioned deceased, I have made several unsuccessful attempts to reach any member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you. I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by the deceased customer before the fund is declared unserviceable by the bank where my client lodged these huge deposits.According to banking rules & regulations and Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and regulations guiding account operation, any account not operated within 2 years will be declared unserviceable. It is very necessary we get this transaction concluded because the senior officers might siphon this money into their private pockets if not claimed.
I REFER YOU TO THE PLANE CRASH WEB PAGE FAOR YOUR CONFIRMATION: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/23/nigeria.plane/index.html 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 share the same family name, so that the proceeds of the account valued at US$12.5million can be paid to you for both of us to share the funds; 50% to me and 50% to you. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through successfully. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.Please get in touch with me through my private e-mail to enable us discuss further,or better still let me have your contact telephone numbers for oral details as we progress. Please kindly send me your name in full,phone number,fax number if any,age,sex,occupation. Thanks for your kind co-operation.
Paul Zulu

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