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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: "MORRIS THOMPSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <morrithomp@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:07:01 -0700
Subject: FROM: MR MORRIS THOMPSON OF CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA(CBN)

FROM: MR MORRIS THOMPSON.
DIRECTOR OF COURIER/PACKAGING DEPARTMENT
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

I KNOW THIS WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW ME .I AM MR MORRIS THOMPSON, I WORK IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, PACKAGING AND COURIER DEPARTMENT.

I WANT YOU TO ASSIST ME CLEAR A PACKAGE THAT IS ALREADY IN EUROPE WHICH I USED MY POSITION AS THE DIRECTOR OF PACKAGING WITH THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, SHIPPED THROUGH OUR ACCREDITED COURIER AGENT IN EUROPE.

THE PACKAGE CONTAINS A CASH SUM OF $10,000,000.00, ALL IN $100.00 BILLS, BUT UNKNOWN TO THE COURIER COMPANY IT WAS DECLEARED AS BANK`S PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENTS, BELONGING TO ONE OF FORIEGN STATIONARY CONTRACTOR.

NOW, WHAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DO IS TO FORWARD IMMEDIATELY YOUR RECEIVING ADDRESS, YOUR PRIVATE PHONE AND FAX WHERE THE COURIER COMPANY WILL CONVEY A DIPLOMATIC DELIVERING OF THE PACKAGE TO YOU.

I AGREED THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WILL HAVE 30% WHILE YOU WILL ASSIST ME INVEST 70% OF MY SHARE THERE IN YOUR COUNTRY. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY IDENTITY MUST NOT BE REVEALED TO ANY BODY.

IF THIS ARRANGEMENT IS OKAY BY YOU,FOR SECURITY REASONS OTHER MODALITIES WILL BE DISCUSSED AS SOON AS YOU GET BACK TO ME.


YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR MORRIS THOMPSON.
COURIER/PACKAGING DEPARTMENT (CBN).


Anti-fraud resources: