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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 FEMI DONALD" <femidonald@femidonald.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:11:26 +0000
Subject: FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

FROM FEMI DONALD
TEL;234 802569 4639
IFAX: 801-841-5583


FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

Firstly, I must solicit your strictest confidentiality in this
transaction.This is by virtue of its nature as being utterly CONFIDENTIAL.
Though I know that a transaction
of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am
assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We have decided to
contact you first by your email due
to the urgency of this transaction, as we have been reliably informed that
it will take at least two to three weeks for a normal post to reach you. So
we decided it is best using the email.
Let me start by first introducing myself properly to you. I am DR. FEMI
DONALD, a senior official in the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and
I head a Three-man tender board in charge of Contracts Awards and payment
Approvals. I came to know of you in my search for a reliable and reputable
person to handle a very confidential business transaction which involves
the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum
confidence. I and my colleagues are top officials of the Federal Government
Contract Review Panel.Our duties include evaluation,vetting, approval for
payment of contract jobs
done for the DPR,etc. In order to commence this business, we solicit for
your assistance to enable us transfer into your account the said funds.
The source of this funds is as follows: During the last military regime
here in Nigeria, this committee awarded a contract of
US$400,000,000.00(Four Hundred Million United
States Dollars) to five construction firms on behalf of the Petroleum
Ministry.During this process my colleagues and I decided amongst ourselves
to deliberately over-inflate the total contract sum to US$415,500,000.00
(Four Hundred and Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars) with the main intention of sharing the remaining sum of
US$315,500,000.00 (Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars)
amongst ourselves. The Federal Government of Nigeria has since approved the
sum of US$415,500,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifteen Million, Five Hundred
Thousand United States
Dollars) for us as the contract sum, and the sum of US$400,000,000.00 (Four
Hundred Million United States Dollars) has also been paid to the foreign
contractors concerned as contract entitlements for the contract done, but
since each of the companies is entitled
to S$80,000,000.00 only, we are now left with US$15,500,000.00 balance in
the account which we intend to transfer abroad into a safe and reliable
account to be disbursed amongst ourselves, but by virtue of our positions as
civil servants and members of this panel,we cannot do this by ourselves, as
we are prohibited by the "Code of Conduct Bureau" (Civil Service Laws) from
opening / operating foreign accounts in our names, making it impossible for
us to acquire the money in our names.
I have, therefore, been mandated as a matter of trust by my colleagues in
the panel to look for an overseas partner into whose account we would
transfer the sum of US$15,500,000.00(Fifteen Million FiveHundred Thousand
United States Dollars), hence we are writing you this letter. My colleagues
and I have agreed that if your company can act as the beneficiary of this
funds on our behalf, you or your company will retain 25% of the total amount
of US$15,500,000.00 (Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars), while 70% will be for us (members of this panel) and the
remaining 5% will be used in offsetting alldebts/expenses incurred (both
local and foreign) in the cause of this transfer.Needless to say,the trust
reposed on you at this juncture is enormous.In return we demand your
complete honesty and trust. You must however, NOTE that this transaction
will be strictly based on the following terms and conditions as we have
stated below, as we have heard confirmed cases of business associates
running away with funds kept in their custody when it finally arrive their
accounts. This is why we have decided that this transaction will be based
completely on the following:
(a). Our conviction of your transparent honesty and diligence.
(b). That you would treat this transaction with utmost secrecy and
confidentiality.
(c). That upon receipt of the funds, you will promptly release our share
(70%) on demand after you have removed your 25% and all expenses have been
settled.
(d). You must be ready to produce us with enough information about yourself
to put our minds at rest.
Please, note that this transaction is 100% legal and risk free and we hope
to conclude the business in Seven Bank working days from the date of
receipt of the necessary
information and requirement from you.
Please, acknowledge the receipt of this letter using my alternate email
address: femidonald@walla.com or telephone number: 234 802569 4639 I will
bring you into the complete picture of the transaction when I have heard
from you.Your urgent response will be highly appreciated as we are already
behind schedule for this financial quarter.Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. FEMI DONALD


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