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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: Gary okosun <gary_okosun@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 07:41:12 +0100 (BST)
Subject: greetings


Office Of The Chairman:(Contract Award Committee)
Independent National Electoral Commission
Federal Secretariat Complex
Garki- Abuja-Nigeria


Attn: Sir/Madam


FUND FOR INVESTMENT

I guess this letter may come to you as a surprise since i had no previous correspondence with you.

I am the chairman tender's board/contract award committee of the independent national electoral commission (INEC). I got your contact in the course of my search for a reliable person with whom to handle a very confidential transaction involving the transfer of fund valued at Sixty million five hundred thousand united states dollars (US $60.5M) to a safe foreign account.

The above fund in question is not connected with arms, drugs or money laundering. It is a product of over invoiced contract awarded in 2002 by INEC to a foreign company for the supply of electoral materials that was used for just concluded general elections in my country.

The contract has long been executed and payment of the actual contract amount made to the foreign contractors, thereby living the balance of US $60.5M in a dormant account which i now want to transfer out of Nigeria into a reliable foreign account for my personal use. As civil servants we do not have necessary foreign account machinery to successfully handle this transaction.

Therefore it becomes necessary to source for a foreign company with the capability to act as the original beneficiary of the contract.

Fortunately, the president has endorsed the resolution passed by the senate that all foreign contractors owed by the Federal Government Nigeria are paid. I therefore wish to seize this good opportunity to support you as one of the beneficiaries to be paid. If you are interested in this proposal kindly get back to me and send your letter of acceptance with your direct telephone and fax numbers, but if you can not for any reason handle this transaction I should be grateful if you can introduce it to a reliable and trustworthy person in which case your interest will be properly taken care of.

Meanwhile, I have decided on the following sharing formula: 80% for me and 15% for you while the remaining 5% is being set aside for any expenses that may be incurred on the side of both parties.

Further details about this transaction will be discussed in our subsequent correspondence. This transaction is strictly confidential but 100% risk free and it is expected to be concluded within 10 working days. All local contacts and arrangement have been properly perfected for a smooth and successful conclusion of this transaction.


Yours Faithfully,
Dr.Randy Attah.

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