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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "FELIX NWABUDIKE" <felixnwabu901@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: felixnwabu.nwabu@personal.ro
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 08:12:10 +0000
Subject: FROM:FELIX NWABUDIKE,

FROM:FELIX NWABUDIKE,
ALL STATE TRUST BANK PLC,
VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS,
NIGERIA.

I greet you, may I use this opurtunity to introduce myself,
My name is Dr.Felix Nwabudike of credit and foreign bills of All State Trust
Bank Plc.I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank with
account number AXX789021 who perished in a Auto Accident with the whole
Family on July 6, 2001. Bearing Ballard James a native of australian.
Since the demise of this our customer, 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 $15.5M USD (Fifteen million five hundred thousand
united states dollars) which has been with my
branch for a very long time.
On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next
of kin as no 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 sum.Upon the receipt of your response, I will send you
by e-mail the application 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 or agrument as all modalities for
fund transfer can be finalized within five banking days,also all I need from
you is your trust and mutual understanding in this business so that we can
carry it out without any delay. After you apply to the bank as a relation to
the deceased. When you receive this letter.
Kindly send me an e-mail signifying your interest including your private
Tel/Fax numbers for quick communication. My alternative email
felixnwabu.felix@personal.ro
Yours faithfully,
Dr.Felix Nwabudike.


Anti-fraud resources: