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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: "Joan Anita" <joan_anita@msn.com>
Reply-To: mrs_carolinejoan@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 16:18:42 +0000
Subject: Telex & Wire Dept. (Barclays bank plc .)

Date:18/2/2006.

Dear Sir,


I am MRS CAROLINE JOAN, General Administrator Telex and Wire Department of
Barclays bank Plc . I have an urgent information for you, which will be very
vital to you. My colleagues in the bank and other Ministries that are in
charge of transferring money, has conspired to release your fund into
another account claiming that you are the one who ask them to release your
fund into this account in South Africa. I have been approached, as the
General Administrator Telex and Wire Department of this to endorse on this
stated below bank account to enable your fund be transfer. Please confirm to
me if you are the owner of this account.

BANK: FIRST NATIONAL BANK,
ALABERT STREET DURBAN
BRANCH CODE: 331420
ACCOUNT NO: 61053229038
BENEFICIARY: MR. T. J. ZWANE

As a matter of fact,. ERNEST WIILIAMS SMITH, and their Associate have
advised me to release your fund into the above account. Hence I decided to
contact you to know if you actually ask them to do so.

This fund will be transferred to this above bank account as soon as I
endorse and give instruction to our Clearing House to remit the fund if you
are not aware of this transfer or did not instructed anybody to transfer
your fund into the bank account, reconfirm your banking and contract details
to me to enable me give advice to our Clearing House to release your fund
and make sure you call me on the above telephone numbers to confirm if I
have received your banking and contract details.

Please, this information I am given to you is a great risk on my side, so
you have to keep this very confidential, as I am ready to assist you get
your fund release to your account.

Yours faithfully,
MRS CAROLINE JOAN.
Telex & Wire Dept. (Barclays bank plc .)


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