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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: "magashia" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:07:08 +0100
Subject: IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR INHERITANCE FUND VIA ATM SWIFT CARD.

INTERNAL REVENUE/FUNDS DEPARTMENT
LONDON, ENGLAND COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT
(RESOLUTIONPANEL ON CONTRACT PAYMENT)
UNITED KINGDOM
FILE CODE #: ATM/LAG/UK

ATTN: BENEFICIARY,

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR INHERITANCE FUND VIA ATM SWIFT CARD.

In close consultation with the World Bank, IMF and the European
Union (EU), this is to notify you of your enlistment as a beneficiary
of a recent Debt Management and Settlement Forum organized on the
status of global arrangement to have your beneficiary fund settled once
and for all.
Of course, In the hope that you must have been aware of the
past financial leakages in the European foreign inheritance payment system, and
frustrations associated there from in your last attempt to
claim the fund, wherein fund beneficiaries (like your self) was subjected to
unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks in lieu of claiming funds due them.
The World Body, having solicited and received the cooperation of British
Government, in harmonizing the sequence of payments, have discovered from
records of outstanding foreign inheritance fund beneficiaries due them,
that your name and payment has been with held and remain unpaid as a
result of such bottleneck. On the prompting of this finding, I wish to
officially notify you that all aspects of your payment claim is being harmonized,
enabling payment to be released to you as urgently as you act on the
instructions of this mail.

Consequently, HSBC bank London has been directed by the World
Body to off set these outstanding debts, using ATM Swift Card payment
arrangement.
Already, a total amount of US$500 Million has been provided to
the bank for this purpose and it is on first come first serve. With this
arrangement, I wish to inform you that HSBC bank London has been
instructed to issue in your name an ATM Cash Card with the
valued amount of US$5M. In paying this amount to you, please note that it is
without Prejudice to your original inheritance sum. Rather, it is a
stop-gap payment arrangement put in place by the World Body to on the
one hand ensure that you receive part of your fund, while on the other
hand ensure that the process is smooth and without any form of stress
whatsoever,whereas a comprehensive arrangement shall be made in future to
pay off the remaining fund due you.

However, we are worried with the counter information received
from one Mr.Jack Law, purporting to be from your directive, with express
instruction to activate the ATM Cash Card for release of fund to his name a
bank account in the "Cayman Islands" Obviously, we are hesitant to
honor this instruction as it were, and would request that you clarify
same upon your contact with HSBC bank London . In addition to that, you should
provide the bank with the following details to forestall any mistake of
issuing the ATM Card with the wrong information already submitted by
Mr. Jack Law:

1. Full name for confirmation
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to (p.o box not
acceptable)
4. Your age and current occupation
5. Attach copy of your identification
6. Beneficiary name for activation of your ATM CARD.

Believing that this arrangement will suit your condition and
expectations, we will therefore request for your expedited response to avoid
any more delay.

Your response should be directed to HSBC bank London ,

Attention: Mr.Jack Walker; Director Atm Payment Dept through
his official emailaddress:hsbc_use@yahoo.com.com

Your file reference code for your payment is ATM/LAG/UK and
should be quoted in your contact mail to the bank otherwise the bank will
not recognize/process your ATM Swift Payment.
Regards,
Internal Revenue Service

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