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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: "ehizojietitus ehizojietitus" <ehizojietitus@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 06:12:17 -0700
Subject: Awaiting your immediate responds

Prince Ehizojie Titus,
Head,Operations Manager,
International Trust Bank Plc.
ICON House,6th Floor,Idejo Street
Victoria Island,
Lagos Nigeria.

Attention:

Confidential Letter:
First, I must solicit your confidence in this
transaction, this is by virtue of its nature as being
utterly CONFIDENTIAL and TOP SECRET. Though I know
that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that
all will be well at the end of the transaction.

For the purpose of introduction,I am Prince Ehizojie Titus,
Head,Operations Manager, International Trust Bank Plc,
in charge of personal and corporate accounts
above US$5,000,000.00(five million US Dollars only). I
came to know of you in my private search for a
reliable and reputable person to handle a very
confidential transaction which involves the transfer
of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring
maximum confidence.

THE PROPOSITION:
A foreigner, late Mr Grahams Peterson, an Oil
Merchant/Contractor with the Federal Government of
Nigeria, until his death three years ago in a ghastly
auto crash, banked with us here at International Trust
Bank PLC., Lagos, and had a closing
balance of USD$21.5M (Twenty-One Million, Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars only) which the bank
now unquestionably expects to be claimed by any of his
available foreign next of kin or alternatively be
donated to a discredited trust fund for arms and
ammunition at a military war college here in Nigeria.
Fervent valuable efforts are being made by the Bank to
get in touch with any of the Peterson family or
relatives but all have proved to no avail. It is
because of the perceived possibility of not going to
be able to locate any of late Mr Grahams Peterson's
next of kin (he had no wife and children) that the
management under the influence of our Chairman, Board
of Directors, Retired Major General Kalu Uke Kalu,
that an arrangement for the fund to be declared
"UNCLAIMABLE" and then be subsequently donated to the
Trust Fund for Arms and Ammunition which will further
enhance the course of war in Africa and the world in
general.
In order to avert this negative development, myself
and some of my trusted colleagues in the bank now seek
for your permission to have you stand as late Mr
Grahams Peterson's next of kin so that the fund,
USD$21.5M would be subsequently transferred and paid
into your bank account as the beneficiary next of kin.
All documents and proves to enable you get this fund
have been carefully worked out and we are assuring you
a 100% risk free involvement. Your share would be 30%
of the total amount,5% has been set aside for expenses
while the rest would be for myself and my colleagues
for investment purposes in your company or any country
of your choice where the returns on investment will be
optimal.
If this proposal is acceptable to you and you do not
wish to take advantage of the trust we hope to bestow
on you and your company, then kindly get to me
immediately via my e-mail furnishing me with:
1.The Names you want to use for this transaction.
2.Your contact address
3.Your most confidential telephone number
4.Fax number
5.Exclusive e-mail so that I can forward to you the
relevant details of this transaction.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated
co-operation.

Regards,

Prince Ehizojie Titus,

International Trust Bank Plc


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