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

Fraud email example:

From: "john eze" <johneze12@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 18:05:43 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY

FROM THE DESK OF MR JOHN
ZENITH BANK OF NIGERIA
LAGOS NIGERIA
ATTN:Sir,
I am MRJOHN EZE, The manager, Bills and Exchange at the Foreign
Remittance
Department of the Zenith Bank of
Nigeria Plc. I am writing this letter to ask for your
support and cooperation to carry out this business
opportunity in my department. We discovered an
abandoned sum of $15,000,000.00 Fifteen million United
States Dollars only)in an account that belongs to one
of our foreign customers who died along with his
entire family in November 1999,in a Plane crash.
Since we heard of his death, we have been expecting
his next-of-kin to come over and put claims for his
money as the heir, because we cannot release the fund
from his account unless someone applies for claim as
the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our
banking guidelines.Unfortunately, neither their family
member nor distant relative has ever appeared to claim
the said fund .
Upon this discovery, I and other officials in my
department have agreed to make business with you and
release the total amount into your account as the heir
of the fund since no one came for it or discovered he
maintained account with our bank, otherwise the fund
will be returned to the banks treasury as unclaimed
fund.
We have agreed that our ratio of sharing will be
asstated thus; 20 % for you as foreign partner,75 %
for us the officials in my department and 5 % for the
settlement of all local and foreign expences incurred
by us and you during the course of this business.Upon
the successful completion of this transfer, I and one
of my colleagues will come to your country and mind
our share.
It is from our 75 % we intend to import Agricultural
Machineries into my country as a way of recycling the
fund. To commence this transaction, we require you to
immediately indicate your interest by a return e-mail
and enclose your private contact telephone number, fax
number full name and address and your designated bank
coordinates to enable us file letter of claim to the
appropriat departments for necessary approvals before
the transfer can be made.
Note also, this transaction must be kept STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL because of
its nature.
I look forward to receiving your prompt response.
MR JOHN EZE
Zenith Bank of Nigeria.
NOTE:MY PRIVATE EMAIL IS (johneze4@yahoo.com)


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