joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Mr John Ekwe" <johnekwe05@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 20:33:48 +0000
Subject: The Diplomat.

Attention Honorable Beneficiary.

I am reaching you through your contact information found in your file that
was forwarded into my office for further processing of your payment
alongside with other approved payment.
I am a diplomat who have arrived Spain to dislodge numbers of consignment to
various client / contractors and next of kins to Nigerian contractors .Some
of these consignments are payment released by the federal Government of
Nigeria and other local banks here, that are to be delivered through
diplomatic courier service to foreign contractors/next of kins .

NOTE: The Federal government of Nigeria and our local banks have bid to pay
off all foreign contract payment, this was as a result of the complain
lodged into the international committees by various contractors / next of
kin.Sequel to this,arrangment has been in place to effect all foreign
payment through transfer, or diplomatic courier service headed by me as the
officer in charge. Now why am writing you is this,This will be the 3rd time
and the final quarter to dislodge another batch of consignment/payment to
various countries. The last time I was denied of carrying your consignment
to you when your name falls in the list that where supposed to be carried
out for delivery. I have always found your name and your contact information
in the file waiting for approval from the federal high court as it was
reviled that the owner of this payment died some time ego. And each time
this consignment were ready to be carried to it's designated address, the
new director of Credit Control Department will list out your name sent to my
office.

This time I asked why? He said that dislodgement of the consignment was yet
to be approved by the federal high court court. Another reason he added
again was that the owner of the fund died some time ago, and information
have been passed across to the next of kin who is now normalizing your
information to claim your fund ,with approval from the federal high court in
Abuja.Then am becoming so skeptical over this situation, and then I decided
to reach you through your contact information I found in your file to
confirm this development. If yes then I believe I can help you out if you
are willing to work with me and my advice.

Further more,I am a diplomat and an in-law to Mr. President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. As I read from you, I will get
back to you with more vital information. I am living back to Nigeria any
moment from now for another trip to carry another batch of payment, so I
hope to read from you in the next couple of hours in Nigeria as i get back.
I advice you get back to me in time, to consider earlier the next step on
your behalf.

So if i should help you with my personality and my status, then you need to
waste no time in getting back to me, so that i can start communicating you
for more vital information and assistance for you to have your fund carried
straight to you in your country or through wire transfer.

Yours truly

Mr John Ekwe


Anti-fraud resources: