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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: "Baruk Ibrahim" <baruk_ibrahim2@hotmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: baruk_ibrahim@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:47:56 +0000
Subject: urgently needed

FROM MR IBRAHIM BARUK
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO
PRIVATE TEL: 00226 78 81 75 32.

DEAR FRIEND,

I am the manager of bill and exchange at the foriegn remittance department of Bank Of Africa (B.O.A). In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$20.5 (Twenty million
five hundred thousand US dolloars) in an account that belongs to one of our foriegn customer who died along with his entire family in a plane crash that happened in Kenya, East Africa.
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidlines and laws but unfortunately we learnt
that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

Please I want you to visit the website below for more information about the Plane Crash and the Deceased DR. GEORGE W. BRUMLEY AND HIS FAMILY: <http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html>

It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and I don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill. I agree that 25% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner, in
respect to the provision of a foriegn account, and 70% would be for me and my colleague involve, while 5% will be set aside for any expenses that might incure during this transaction., There after I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated.

Therefore, to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location wherein the money will be remitted. Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application to fill and send to the bank. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100% Risk free and you should keep this transaction (TOP SECRET) and this transaction will only take us 14 banking days in the exceptance of this proposal because as a banker, I know what to do and move the fund into your account without any delay and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer. You should contact me as soon as you receive this letter .
Yours faithfully.
MR IBRAHIM BARUK
Bill & Exchange Manager,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)


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