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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: "WorldBank Consults" (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:27:58 -0700
Subject: ALERT FOR YOUR PAYMENT




THE WORLD BANK GROUP,
15TH FLOOR, NEWZERLAND HOUSE HAYMARKET
LONDON SW1Y 4TE, ENGLAND
Our Ref: WBG/PRS/UK-FR/007-2010/IWP
Phone: +44702 402 7984



ALERT FROM THE WORLD BANK GROUP...PLS READ CAREFULLY.



ATTN: Beneficiary,

There is an issue with the World Bank group London for your part-payment valued at TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED UNITED STATE DOLLARS directed and credited to file SRN/ 9023118308/10, which has now been reverted a couple of hours ago due to the new bank security act.

In view to several efforts already made by the organization to contact you for the following reasons, which is based on information submitted to this office of the world bank on your behalf.

(A) We have however received a FUNDS CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE from MR. RAINER HESSE to recieve the payment valued at 2.5Million USD on your behalf.

Please, confirm to our department if you have instructed Mr. Rainer Hesse to receive your funds on your behalf, and if so send a copy of this clearance certificate that we have received from him to prove that your negotiating bank actually approved Mr. Rainer to receive the funds from the world bank.


In order to resolve this problem, we need you to re-confirm with this office immediately by sending the requested document, or else you would have to begin new processings to claim this funds. as soon as we receive your information, a transfer will be effected to you from the treasury of the external reserve into your nominated bank account.

I await your urgent response.

Thanks,

Dr. Andrew Jones.
The World Bank Group London
15TH FLOOR, NEWZERLAND HOUSE HAYMARKET
LONDON SW1Y 4TE, ENGLAND
Phone: +44702 402 7984

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