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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: "ZENITH BANK PLC." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <consultantinfo01@superposta.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:48:11 -0800
Subject: PAYMENT NOTIFICATION OF $18.3M FROM ZENITH BANK PLC.

ZENITH BANK PLC.
Head office Plot 84, Ajose
Adeogun Street, Victoria Island,
Lagos Nigeria.
Tel:  +234 708 7397 994
 
                    
PAYMENT NOTIFICATION OF $18.3M FROM ZENITH BANK PLC.
 
 
Dear Customer
 
This is to inform you that we are very sorry for our delay in the release of your over due contract inheritance payment valued $18, 300,000.00 (Eighteen Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) as approved After the World Bank annual meeting held in the united states of America last week.
 
We understand that you have tried to receive your contract inheritance payment which was impossible because of the fact that you were dealing with the wrong office and financial institution, but this final payment instruction from our Financial Institution ( Zenith Bank Nigeria Plc.) was approved by the International Monetary Funds (IMF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), World Bank Organization (WBO), and the United Nations director general.
 
Note that every necessary arrangements regarding the final release of your Inheritance Payment of $18.3M has been concluded, As a matter of fact we are still waiting for your confirmation to transfer the said fund to Mrs. Margaret Thomason as stated in the letter we received this morning.
 
For your information, we received a letter this morning from one Mrs. Margaret Thomason, claiming that you authorized her to receive the said fund on your behalf due to your present health condition, but we did not believe her because you had never mentioned her as your next of kin to us.
 
In fact, she has given us every reason to believe that you authorized her as she claims, and she is ready to take care of what ever it will cost her to get your funds transferred into her personal account, but I have been instructed by the management of this bank to contact you this last time in order to be sure that you are aware of this development as she claimed, before releasing thee payment to her.
 
 
So did you authorize Mrs. Margaret Thomason to receive your payment on your behalf? But If  you are not aware of this, kindly reconfirm your personal details to us as requested below, to enable us release your fund to you without any further delay.
 
1. Your Full Name:
2. Home/ Office Address:
3. Home/Cell Phone Numbers:
4. Age, Sex and Occupation:
 
 
NOTE: WE HAVE TWO PAYMENT OPTIONS, ONLINE BANK TO BANK TRANSFER OR ATM MASTERCARD DELIVERY:
 
1. If you request for Online Bank to Bank Transfer, the said amount of $18,300,000.00 will be transferred directly into your account upon the confirmation of your account details.
 
2. But if you choose an ATM MasterCard Delivery, the said fund valued $18.3M will be programed into an ATM MasterCard which will be delivered to you for easy withdrawal of your fund in any ATM MasterCard Machine all over the world.
 
Please Get back to us immediately with your preferred payment option as stated above, to enable us proceed with the release of your fund to you as soon as possible.
 
Consequently we wish to bring to your notice that we are going to enforce section 4 paragraph 3 of our agreement which stipulates that monies not collected after one(1)weeks of notification of the beneficiary will be returned to the depositor.
 
Finally: Your fund Approval/ Clearance documents will be forwarded upon the confirmation of your personal details as requested above, for security reasons.
 
Please Call +234 708 7397 994 for oral discussion regarding this matter
 
Best Regards,
Mr. Godwin Emefiele
Managing Director,
Zenith Bank Plc.
+234 708 7397 994

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