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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: "UN FINANCIAL.CONTROL DEPARTMENT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unholme4@qq.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:37:42 -0800
Subject: Re : DID YOU AUTHORIZED HIM ??

My name is John Holmes, Officer with the United Nations Department of International  Finance Surveillance and Control, London. Our duty is to monitor transfer requests, inflow and outflow of fund in all member states of United Nation. I am writing in respect to a recent email communications from Mr. Melvin Mitchell who claim to be your  representative and sent to Bank of Scotland Foreign Payment Division ,the following Bank account information for wire transfer of USD$10.6Million. The account information which he forward to the Bank is as below written.
 
NAME MR. MELVIN MITCHELL
Bank OF America TX2-817-01-01
9308 Forest Lane, Dallas TX 75243
ROUTING # 541740162
ACCT # 488030345645
 
Please, Do reconfirm to us as a matter of urgency if this account  Holder is from you and did you authorized him to receive your fund. If he is not your representative, You are requested to fill the short questionnaire below.
 
1.YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS,DIRECT PHONE, AGE, SEX AND OCCUPATION .
 
However, we shall proceed and order Royal Bank of Scotland to pay Mr. Melvin Mitchell if we do not hear from you within the next seven working days from today.
 
REGARDS,
JOHN HOLMES,
OFFICER IN CHARGE
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL.
SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL,
UNITED NATION, LONDON.
Phone Number:+16464397673 ( Text only for our records)

Anti-fraud resources: