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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: "MIKE EZE" <mikeeze_3@msn.com>
Reply-To: mikeezemikeeze@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2005 16:17:52 +0000
Subject: URGENT

Dr. MICHAEL EZE.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
UNION BANK.

ATTN:

My name is Dr.MICHAEL EZE. of credit and foreign bills of
Unionbank Plc. I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank with
account number14-255-004/utb/t who perished in a plane crash [Korean Air
Flight
801] with thewhole passengers aboard on August6,1997.Since the demise of
this
our customer by name Barry Kelly I personally has watched with keen interest
to
see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as none has come to claim
his
funds of usd.15.5M, [Fifteen million five hundred thousand united states
dollars] which has been with my branch for a verylong time.

On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be
used as the next of kin asno one has come up to be the next of kin.And the
banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than five years,
because money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed after this
period. In view of this I got your contact through a trade journal after
realizing that your name and country is similar to the deceased. I will give
you 30% of the total.Upon the receipt of your response, I will send you by
fax
or e-mail the application, bank's fax number and the next step to take. I
will
not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that
you
should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be
finalized with in five banking days, after you apply to the bank as a
relation
to the deceased.When you receive

this letter.Kindly send me an e-mail :
mike2005619@hotmail.com . signifying
your interest including your private Tel/Fax numbers for
quick communication.

Yours faithfully,

Best Regards.
Dr.MICHAEL EZE


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