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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: ahmed_hassan@zipmail.com.br
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2004 06:46:39 -0800
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Confidential=20business=20Proposal?=

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

PERMISSION TO REMIT US$30 MILLION INTO YOUR COMPANY OR PRIVATE ACCOUNT.

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WRITE AND INFORM YOU OF A TRANSACTION INVOLVING THE
TRANSFER OF US$30,000,000.00 (THIRTY MILLION U.S. DOLLARS) ONLY INTO A FOREIGN
ACCOUNT FOR SAFEKEEPING PENDING MY ARRIVAL WITH MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE SHARING
WITH YOU AS THE ACCOUNT OWNER INTO WHICH THE MONEY IS REMITTED.
I AM AN ACCOUNTANT WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC),
LAGOS. THIS MONEY ORIGINATED FROM OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT EXECUTED FOR THE
CORPORATION SOME YEARS BACK. A FOREIGN FIRM HAS LONG COMPLETED THIS CONTRACT
AND THE CONTRACTOR DULY PAID. I NOW SEEK IF YOU WOULD PERMIT THE SURPLUS
TO BE REMITTED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE ARE TOP GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AND WE CANNOT COME OUT OPENLY TO CLAIM THIS AMOUNT. THIS IS WHY
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A COMPETENT AND HONEST COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL ABROAD
WHOSE DOCUMENTS WOULD BE TENDERED BY US HERE IN NIGERIA AS ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS
THAT EXECUTED THE PROJECT.
HOWEVER, I WOULD WISH TO RECEIVE YOUR PERSONAL ASSURANCE THAT YOU WOULD
NOT SIT ON THE MONEY WHEN IT GOES INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU
KEEP THIS TRANSACTION CONFIDENTIAL; IN ORDER NOT TO TARNISH THE CONFIDENCE
REPOSED ON THE OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN THIS TRANSACTION.
TO EFFECT THIS TRANSFER, I THEREFORE REQUEST THE FOLLOWING:
YOUR ACCOUNT NAME AND NUMBER, THE NAME OF YOUR BANK, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE
AND FAX NUMBERS OF THE BANK WHERE THE MONEY WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO AND
ALSO YOUR PRIVATE FAX AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR QUICK COMMUNICATION.
SO FAR, AFTER DUE CONSULTATIONS, YOU WERE STRONGLY AND RELIABLY RECOMMENDED
TO US ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT MET OR ENTERED INTO ANY KIND OF CONTRACT WITH
YOU BEFORE AS TO KNOW THE EXTENT OF YOUR HONESTY, BUT BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS,
I PERSONALLY WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE HONEST ENOUGH AND WOULD NOT SIT
ON THE MONEY WHEN FINALLY TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. IT IS ON THIS
NOTE THAT I CONSIDER IT PROPER TO WRITE YOU ASKING FOR YOUR PERMISSION AND
SUPPORT TO TRANSFER THIS AMOUNT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. THIS TRANSACATION IS
100% RISK FREE. HENCE IT REQUIRES HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE AND SECRECY.

MEANWHILE THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE SHARING MODALITIES:

A. 5% WILL BE USED TO SETTLE TRANSFER CHARGES AND LEGAL PROTOCOLS;
B. 35% IS FOR USING YOUR ACCOUNT;
C. 60% OF IT WILL BE FOR US THE ORIGINATORS.

I LIKE TO STATE HERE THAT AT THE COMPLETION OF THIS BUSINESS I WILL USE
PART OF MY MONEY TO INVEST IN YOUR COUNTRY UNDER YOUR CARE.
N.B.: PLEASE YOU CAN REPLY THROUGH MY ALTERNATIVE
EMAIL :ahmed_hassan202000@yahoo.it

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING
AND COOPERATION


BEST REGARDS,

AHMED HASSAN.





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