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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: "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fbi3031@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:50:01 -0800
Subject: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION,,,,,,,

FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Federal bureau of investigation
J. Edgar Hoover building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
Ref: FBI/DC/25/09
 
Tel:  206-495-9765
 
Attention: Fund Beneficiary.
 
This is an official advice from the FBI foreign remittance/telegraphic dept. it has come to our notice that bank of Nigeria has released 15,000,000.00 U.S dollars into Federal Reserve Bank in Washington DC in your name as the beneficiary, by Inheritance means. And The bank of Nigeria knowing fully well that they do not have enough facilities to effect this payment from the United Kingdom to your account, used what we know as a secret diplomatic transit payment (S.T.D.P) to pay this fund through wire transfer, they used this means to complete the payment.
 
Now after the investigation on this fund we find out that this fund was transferred illegally from federal republic of Nigeria, we make contact to know why the make on known transfer into federal reserved bank in Washington DC the government of Nigeria inform us that these fund was transferred illegally that the officials that is handling this transfer want to made away with the fund, now they are under the custody of Nigerian authorities, we are informed that you are the original beneficiary to this amount then we have to carried out our investigation to know if they are telling us the fact because we believe that Nigerian are full of scams cheaters.
 
Now your fund is no longer in Nigeria rather its in Federal Reserve Bank in united state of America in Washington DC you have to contact us immediately so that we will direct you on how to receive your fund from the federal reserve bank. Now that your fund is united state of America you don’t have any more problems the imposters in Nigeria are behind the bar, I received a letter from the Nigerian police this morning that the approval will be sending to us today
 
The account number where your fund is 0090321673
Your name..............
Address ..................
Email address......
Country........
Telephone number..................
The amount that was transferred into federal reserved bank is.....................15.000.000.00
This contact has to be made today so that your fund will be direct into your local checking account.
 
Best Regards
ROBERT S. MUELLER, III
DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
 
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and its attachments may contain non-public, confidential or legally privileged information. The unlawful interception, use or disclosure of such information is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, or have received this communication in error,please notify the sender immediately by reply email and delete all copies of this communication and attachments without reading or saving them.

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