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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 about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Thomas=20Mantu?= <thom_mantu@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: thomas_mantu@myway.com
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:01:47 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Goodday


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: thom_mantu@yahoo.co.uk

>From The Desk of Mr. Thomas Mantu

Head, Auditing and Accounting Unit,

Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

Lagos, Nigeria.


Email: thomas_mantu@myway.com



Dear Sir,



Courtesy of Business opportunity, I take liberty anchored on strong desire to solicit and crave your indulgence to make this project request for a joint business transaction which is of mutual beneficial and risk free transaction with you and I hope will not come to you as a surprise, hence I plead for your pardon. I am Thomas Mantu, the Head , Auditing and Accounting Unit, Foreign Operations Department Union Bank Of Nigeria, Plc. I have an urgent and confidential business proposal for you. On June 6th 2003 , Engr. Moore Smith made a numbered time (Fixed Deposit) valued at US$10.200.000.00 (Ten Million Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in my branch, on maturity I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but got no reply after months we send a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employee (Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation) that Late Engr. Moore Smith died from an automobile accident, on further investigation it was clear that he died without making a will. All atte mpts by the American Embassy to trace his next of kin were fruitless.



I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Late Engr. Moore Smith did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents including his deposit document in my bank. The total sum of US$10,200,000.00 is still in my bank as dormant account. According to Nigerian banking law and procedures herein stipulates that any account abandoned or dormant for a period of some years is subjected to be closed and all money contained therein will be forfeited to the Government Treasury Account as “Unclaimed Bills”. Now it is being speculated that the above sum will be transferred into Government Treasury Account as unclaimed funds on or before May 2006 as long as the account owner is certified death and nobody comes forward to claim it.



The reason for you to present your good self as the next of kin,in occasioned by the fact that the deceased customer was a foreigner. Mode of sharing after the successful completion of the transfer is as follows, for the role you will be expected to play in the whole exercise, we have agreed to give you twenty five (25%) of the total sum, and 5% has been set aside for expenses we are going to encounter by both parties in the process of this transaction and the remaining 70% shall be for my colleagues and I. There is no risk involved.


I am using my position and connection in the bank here to do all the document work for the transaction and I shall obtain all necessary documents and letter of administration in your favour for this transfer. This transaction is risk free guaranteed, if you are in support of the aforementioned, you are urged to reply this letter indicating your readiness and interest to participate in the business. After you reply, you will be advised on the next step forward, and be advised to send these details below for us to proceed with.



1. FULL NAME


2. CONTACT ADDRESS


3. TEL/FAX NUMBER


4. MOBILE NUMBER


5. AGE


6. OCCUAPATION


7. SEX



I quite believe that you will protect our interest by keeping this business Top Secret and Confidential, as your interest will be equally protected in order to achieve and maintain maximum confidentiality. Trust to hear from you through Email: thomas_mantu@myway.com as I count on your earliest response and your honesty is of great importance to me .


Yours truly,


Mr Thomas Mantu

- Thomas Mantu


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