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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: "pam" <kidda_office1950@att.net>
Reply-To: <pamrobson@net.hr>
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 07:36:00 -0800
Subject: PRIVATE INFO 4 U

 
PRIVATE INFO 4 U
 
 
Hello              ,
With profound respect have I decided to contact you this day because of a certain confidential information that can be of mutual benefit to me and you if followed diligently.
I would have preferred to communicate this news to you through a more secured medium,but hence there is no other at my disposal, I had to use this.
 
It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me, Please forgive this unusual manner to contact you, but this particular letter/email is of exceptional and
very private nature, due to the virtue of my vantage position in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, London.
I have a  proposal of mutual interest to share with you.
 
There is no way for me to know whether I will be properly understood,but it is my desire to write and reach out to you, TRUSTING that you will give this proposal consideration.
I am Drew Stewart, the Chief Administrative Officer, in one of the Commercial Banks in London.
As the accounting officer in charge of a certain fixed coded dollar deposit account,which one of our late clients deposited.
He was one time Minister of Communication in one of the African Countries.
Since his death, hence a coded account, nobody except two key officers in our bank knows the actual owner of the deposit, and of course non of his family members are aware of the existence of the deposit, hence is a common knowledge and proven evidences are abound that those who find themselves in the position of authority in Nigeria and other African Countries, are in the habit of looting their state treasury due to the high level of corruption in their Governments.
It is my intention with the collaboration of my colleague to contact you in regards to the above information, and solicit for your hand in partnership to claiming the deposit.
We have perfected everything to make it easy and risk free to pay this money out following any transfer instruction that will come from you after we would have given you all the coded information that you will  use to confirm that you are one of the two authorized persons that can access the bank account and move funds from the account.
If you confirm your interest to collaborate with me and in harmony share the money as will be agreed between us, I will provide some of the coded information to identify yourself with the bank, before the execution of your instructions by the bank which we will guide you on how and whom to contact in the bank for you to be able to transfer money from the bank from abroad or for you to come to our office in person to effect transfers.
As you know , We cannot claim this money ourselves, but can use our privileged position and information to our advantage hence I want to retire from banking occupation into a private business.
 
I believe that you will not capitalize on the secret nature of this information and my position as a staff of the bank to turn your back on us after we would have succeeded in this plan.
 
In order to prove to you the genuineness of this our intention, we will send to you a canceled copy of a bank draft that the depositor used to effect a certain transaction,though he changed his mind and instructed that the bank draft be canceled and cash be made available.
 
 
All other classified information will be communicated to you as soon as you show your interest.
 
 
For security reasons, you are hereby required to restrict all communications through this email address drewstewart@w.cn
On no condition shall this deal be discussed or communicated through any other of my official email addresses or phone numbers.
I am sure you know the implication of exposure and its consequences.
You now can reach me through drewstewart@w.cn
Looking forward to hearing from you very soon as the business requires.
Yours Truly
Drew Stewart
drewstewart@w.cn
 

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