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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "mark williams" <mark_williams67@msn.com>
Reply-To: markwilliams2000@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:02:10 +0000
Subject: HELLO

FROM THE DESK OF MARK WILLIAMS
THE PROJECT DIRECTOR,
NIGERIA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CO-OPERATION,
ABUJA,NIGERIA

DEAR SIR,

I am MARK WILLIAMS, the Project Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC). My Committee is principally concerned with payment of
all contract awarded from 1998 to date, in order of priority as regard
capital projects of the NNPC. The information we gathered from the Foreign
Office of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce and Industries is so positive as
to convince us that you would provide us with solution to a money transfer
deal valued at Thirty One Million United States Dollars and subsequently a
joint business venture. In the course of our duties as values, and project
inspectors for the on-going liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, we have
over-invoiced the value of some jobs done by foreign contractors for the
NNPC to the tune of US$31M. As follows: - Computer optimization and
Installation $16,000.000.00 Installation of 250,000.00 Monax
Turbine$10,000.000.00 Turn Around Maintenance $5,000,000.00. Our aim of
over-invoicing this payment is to divert the excess amount to a discrete
account abroad. This fund is now floating in suspense account at the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This is the fund my colleagues and I have decided to
transfer into your account since we, as civil servants are not allowed to
operate or own foreign account. The money will be shared as follows after
transfer: 30% for you (Account Owner) 60% for my colleagues and me, 10% to
offset both local and international expenses that would be incurred in the
course of this transaction. To be able to claim the funds, we will be
purporting your company to be the original contractor / beneficiary of the
funds so all procedures for international transfer shall be strictly
followed, as we have worked out all modalities for a swift and risk free
transfer. If this proposal satisfies you, please contact me through this
email address with the following important information. Your Bank
Information’s, Tel/Fax of Bank, with your Personal Phone / Fax Numbers for
easy communication. This transaction will last for 14 working days from the
time we submit the required information, as all modalities concerning this
transaction have been worked out and it is completely risk free. Please be
informed that this subject is classified sensitive. Therefore treat the
transaction with utmost confidentiality and urgency.

Yours Faithfully.
MARK WILLIAMS
Project Director (NNPC)


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