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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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Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Williams Akintola" <akinwills@yahoo.it> (may be fake)
Reply-To: akinwills11@yahoo.co.in
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 19:16:46 -0700
Subject: Your mail from williams akintola

Dear Prospective Partner,



Greetings



In order to transfer out $26,000,000.00 Million USD
(Twenty -Six Million United States Dollars) from our
bank. I have the courage to look for a reliable and
honest person who will be capable for this important
business believing that you will never let me down
either now or in future.



I am Mr. Williams Akintola the Operation Manager of
United Bank for Africa Plc (U.B.A). There is an
account opened in this bank in 1985 and since 1995
nobody has operated on this account again. After going
through some old files in the records i discovered
that if i do not remitt this money out urgently it
will be forfeited for nothing.



The owner of this account is Mr. Clayton Riedfield and
the manager of Granite Minning Nig, an Engineer by
profession and he died since 1995 no other person
knows about this account or anything concerning it,
the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proves to me as well that his company
does not know anything about this account and the
amount invloved is (u.s. $26,000,000.00).



I want to transfer this money into a safe foreign
account abroad but i don't know any foreigner, i am
only contacting you as a foreigner because this money
can not be approved to any local bank here but can
only be approved to any foreign account because the
money is in U.S Dollars and the former owner of the
account is Mr. Clayton Riedfield and he was a
foreigner too.



I know that this message will come to you as a
surprise as we don't know ourselves before, but be
sure that it is real and a genuine business, i only
got your contact address from the internet listing
with the believe in God that you will never let me
down in this business, you are the only person that i
have contacted for this business for now so please
reply urgently.



When the transfer is approved and payment schedule is
allocated overseas, through the offshore payment
center for final clearance and signing of the final
payment release order form by the beneficiary, i want
us to see at the oversea paying clearance office face
to face for signing of the original binding agreement
to bind us together so that we can receive this money
into a foreign account or any account of your choice
where the fund will be remitted.



I am contacting you because of the need to involve a
foreigner with a foreign account as the real
beneficiary. I need your co-operation to make this
work fine, because the management of my bank is ready
to approve this payment to any foreigner who has the
correct information to this account, which i will give
to you when sure of your capability to handle such
amount in strict confidence and trust, according to my
instructions and my advice for our mutual benefit
because i don't want to make any mistake.
I need your strong assurance and trust and i shall
destroyed all document concerning to this transactions
immediately we received this money living no trace to
any place.



I will use my position and influence on other staffs
to effect the legal approvals and onward transfer of
this money to your account with appropriate clearance
from foreign payment department with assurance that
this money will intact pending my physical arrival in
your country for the sharing and other investment.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given
25% out of the total amount, 65% will be for me, while
10% will be for expenses , both parties might have
incurred during the process of this transaction. I
look forward to your earliest reply through my
private:akinwills11@yahoo.co.in


Yours Truly,



Mr. Williams Akintola





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