joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Lin Homer" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <linhomer@hm-revenue.org>
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2013 06:51:45 -0400
Subject: Urgent: Read & Reply Soon

HM Revenue & Customs - 100 Parliament St.
London, SW1A 2BQ. United Kingdom
Department:  Audit and Risk Committee Team
Telephone - +44-7053838417
Telephone - +44-7031993816
Fax No - +44-700-593-1276
 
Message: Sole Beneficiary
File Code: RC/8366-32
 
I am writing to you in confidence and with trust. I have been assigned to assist you on your fund payment case and I am notifying you through this channel because your email address is contained in the documents presently forwarded to my office for correction. I am Lin Homer, the Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary of the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in United Kingdom. Presently, we have reviewed and commenced the settlement of all unpaid foreign debts which includes contract/inheritance funds, gambling/lottery awarded funds (sponsored by multinational companies) and other private business suspended/withheld funds yet to be paid to its beneficiary's foreign account.
 
In view of the above, we have immensely sorted out issues with the regional financial units in charge of your transaction and our extensive investigation confirmed that you are the true beneficiary shortlisted to receive the total sum of $15,000,000.00 USD (Fifteen Million United States Dollars) as traced. Ever since this development was made, different individuals who claimed to represent you have been writing a request to my office regularly to approve and pay them your fund. Another bank account was provided to us by these individuals and if you did not inform anyone to redirect your funds into another international account, kindly notify us immediately.
 
If you have not authorized anybody to claim your funds, kindly provide your present residential address for document postal delivery and also provide a scanned copy of your driver's license or international passport to enable us process and pay out your $15,000,000.00 USD into any nominated bank account of your choice.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Ms. Lin Homer
(Chief Executive Officer).
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: The information in this email and in any files transmitted with it is intended only for the addressee and contains confidential and/or privileged material. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender immediately and delete the material from your computer. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is strictly prohibited.
 

Anti-fraud resources: