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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: "VINCENT OBI" <vincent_obi@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 04:02:41 +0000
Subject: URGENT===NEXT OF KIN

MR VINCENT OBI,

TEL=234=80=29423394,

LAGOS,NIGERIA.

Email: vincentobi@hotmail.com

(VERY URGENT BUSINESS TRANSACTION)

Dear Respecful,

In order to transfer out (US$ 40 MILLION DOLLARS) Fourty million United
States Dollars from STANDARD TRUST BANK here in NIGERIA. I want to ask you
to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit
to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c
immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can also serve for this
purpose.

I am MR VINCENT OBI, PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE
DEPARTMENT STANDARD TRUST BANK (STB). During the course of our auditing I
discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and
since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going

through some old files, from the records I discovered that the owner of the
account died without a (heir) hence the money is floating and if I do not
remit this money out urgently it will be forfelited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Mr. THOMAS SMITH, a foreigner, and an
industrialist, and he died, since 1993 and no other person knows about this
account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and
my investigation proved to me as well that MR THOMAS SMITH, until his death
he was THE MANAGER OF PETRO - TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES, A CHEMICAL
ENGINEER BY PROFESSION and he Died since 1993. No other person know's about

this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other
benerficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that this company
does not know anything about this account and the amount is (US$40MILLION
DOLLARS).

We will start the first transfer with Twenty Million [$20,000.000] upon
successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall
re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account. I am
only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to
a local person here, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid
information about Mr.THOMAS SMITH who is a foreigner too.

However, I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never
let me down when the money ! enters your A/C. If this proposal is okay by
you,and you wish to take the advantage of trust best owned on you,kindly
contact me immediately and include your private telephone and fax number
including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit.

Also, I need little information about yourself and what you do for living as
well as a strong assurance that you can guarantee the safety of the money
when it gets into your account . I need your full understanding and
co-operation to make this work fine because the management of the Bank is
ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information
of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response.

I will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into
the account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal
approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate
clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments for
easy and smooth transfer of the fund into your account without question.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 50% of the total
amount.Please for the purpose of confidetiality you may further correspond
through my private e_mail address:vincentobi@hotmail.com

I am looking forward to hear from you.

Yours Truly,

MR VINCENT OBI


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