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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: johnsonokocha1@zipmail.com.br
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:03:11 -0800
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?URGENT=20ATTENTION?=

FROM THE DESK OF MR.JOHNSON OKOCHA,
ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC,
LAGOS-NIGERIA.
EMAIL: johnson2006@indiatimes.com

ATTENTION:PRESIDENT/CEO,
STRICTLY A PRIVATE BUSINESS PROPOSAL,
I AM MR.JOHNSON OKOCHA, THE MANAGER, BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE
DEPARTMENT OF THE ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK 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 OF A WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN IN 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 SOME ONE APPLIES FOR CLAIM AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED AS
INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THEIR FAMILY
MEMBER NOR DISTANTRELATIVE HAS EVER APPEARED TOCLAIM 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; 30% FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, 60% FOR US THE OFFICIALS IN MY DEPARTMENT
AND 10% FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF ALL LOCAL AND FOREIGN EXPENCES INCURRED BY
US AND YOU DURING THE COURSE OF THIS BUSINESS. UPON THE COMPLETION OF THIS
TRANSFER, I AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL COME TO YOUR
COUNTRY AND MIND OUR SHARE. IT IS FROM OUR 60% 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,ADDRESS AND YOUR DESIGNATED BANK COORDINATES TO
ENABLE US FILE LETTER OF CLAIM TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS FOR NECESSARY
APPROVALS BEFORE THETRANSFER 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.JOHNSON OKOCHA..
ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC.
N/B: ALL REPLY TO > johnson2006@indiatimes.com



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