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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: "Dr.Kelvin Kwado" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dkwado.k@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 10:32:05 +0100
Subject: YOUR FUNDS WITHIN ECOWAS (WEST AFRICA) SUB-REGION AND OUR POSITION AND ADVICE.

This committee has been newly constituted by Ecowas to dig deep and unravel reasons why long outstanding
owners/beneficiaries of funds have not been paid and to also arrest the criminal activities within the sub-region by very
unscrupulous officials in which beneficiaries are asked to pay/send money for various dubious/criminal reasons before they will
have their funds.
 
 
You are quickly reminded and required to take note of the following and act accordingly.
 
1. You are not in any way or form required to make payment to any office or person in your pursuit to have your funds transferred to you.
 
2. The transfer of your funds will only be through telegraphic wire transfer and via bank to bank. Transfers are not to be
made by cash or ATM or through security and financial outlets within the sub-region or abroad. Your transfer upon
satisfaction of required inherent due process will be transferred to you by telegraphic transfer and through bank and
at the direct instance of Ecowas.
 
3. This committee has liaised with central banks of the countries within the sub region and accordingly all the long
outstanding funds awaiting transfers with commercial banks and the central banks in the sub-region have been duly
recovered and kept at the very instance of Ecowas for onward transfer to the owners and beneficiaries after quick
resolution and satisfaction of required due process and due diligence.
 
4. You are by this letter and notice advised to stop all communications with every office and persons asking you for
money in any form and manner.you are to quickly report such offices and persons to this office for further
investigations and possible recovery of whatever money you may have lost to them in the past.
 
5. We have made arrests of many officials who have been involved in using the offices of government and banks as
impostors to deceive and take money from beneficiaries of funds. You can understand why you are being advised to
stop sending money to any person or office as you are not required to pay money before you get your funds.
 
 
6. All you need to do after you have received this letter is to immediately stop all forms of communication with these
people and not to send any money to them and then reply this letter and then you will be guided and protected and
your funds will be transferred to you without you paying to any office or person once due diligence and due process
have been met.
 
 
It will help you and this committee if you can keep our letter and communication to you absolutely to yourself .
 
I await your reply.
Yours Faithfully,
Dr.Kelvin Kwado
Regional Financial Investigation Committee,
Ecowas.

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