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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: infoweb1715@yahoo.com
Reply-To: gabrielowen1102@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:33:18 +0400
Subject: Telex Report

Beneficiary,

After a serious thought i decided to reach you directly and personally
because i do not have anything again you but your partners.

I am the director of the Computer/Telex Department of Bank of Africa.

Sometime in the past your partners approached me through a friend of
mine who works with the Federal parastatals here in West Africa and
requested that i assist them conclude a money transfer project deal.
They gave me your name,your company's name and bank account
particulars and told me to put them in the computer central database
network system so that it would appear as if you are one of the
genuine beneficiary being cleared for unconditional payment.

According to them they wanted to use this strategy to transfer a huge
amount of fund in U.S Dollars. The money has been floating in the
bank, so they wanted your account to finalize the transfer.
We agreed that once i assist them, they would give me hundred Thousand
united States Dollars and another hundred Thousand united States
Dollars when i finalize the transfer to your account.When they saw
that i have done what we initially agreed on and your name has been
approved and appear for unconditional payment, instead of staying to
the agreement of deposit of hundred Thousand united States Dollars,
they started avoiding me.They avoided me and finally resorted to
threats.I immediately deleted the transfer code of the fund which is
only known to me because of my position and consequently, i released
other payments without yours. They became very angry and furious the
more when they realized that their their threats did not work and they
started bribing and lobbying other officials to get approval to
transfer your fund to your account without success. Approvals are free
however,I am 100% responsible for the stoppage and delay of the
transfer release of your fund because of their breach of agreement. If
you doubt what i have just told you,pay any amount they would ask you
to pay now and after a short while, they would come up with another
reason for you to pay again and it goes on and on.

If you are intrested in getting this funds now, then contact me so i will work it out for you.

Regards,
Gabriel Owen
Telephone +233 268469244

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