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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: "Clement Duke Balogun" <clement8_duke3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: clement_duke@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:00:31 +0000
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL and "TOP SECRET

Greetings,
It is with my profound dignity that I write you this very important and
highly confidential letter. First, I must solicit your strictest
confidentiality in this transaction. This is by virtue of its nature
as being utterly CONFIDENTIAL and "TOP SECRET". Though I know that a
transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and
worried,considering the fact that we have not met each other before, but I
am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We have decided
to contact you by email due to the urgency of this transaction, as we have
been reliably informed that it will take at least a minimum of two to three
weeks for a normal post to reach you, so we decided it is best using the
e-mail,which is quicker and also to enable us meet up with the second
payment quarter for the year 2006 which has already begun.
However, let me start by introducing myself properly to you.
I am Mr. Clement Balogun, a Director in the Department for Petroleum
Resources (DPR) and I presently head a seven man tenders board incharge of
Contract Awards and Payment Approvals. I came to know of you in my search
for a reliable and reputable person to handle a very confidential business
transaction which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign
account requiring maximum CONFIDENCE. I and my colleagues are Top Officials
of the Federal Government Contract Review and Award Panel. Our duties
include Evaluation, Vetting, Approval for payment of Contract jobs done for
the D.P.R. e.t.c. In order to commence this business we solicit for your
assistance to enable us transfer into your Account the said funds. The
source of this funds is as follows: In the second quarter of 2006 this
committee was mandated to review and award contracts to the tune of US$400
million US dollars to a group of five firms for the supply , construction
and installation of Oil Pipe lines in Warri and Port Harcourt. During this
process my colleagues and I decided and agreed among ourselves to
deliberately over-inflate the total contract sum from US$400 million to
US$428 million United States dollars with the main intention of sharing the
remaining sum of US$28 miilion amongst ourselves. The Federal Government of
Nigeria has since last year approved the sum of US$428 million for us as the
contract sum, and the sum of US$400 million has also been paid to the
foreign companies concerned as contract entitlements for the various
contracts done, but since the companies are entiltled to US$400 million
dollars only, we are now left with US$28 million dollars balance in the
account which we intend to disburse amongst ourselves, but by virtue of our
positions as civil servants and members of this panel, we cannot do this by
ourselves, as we are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service
Laws) from opening and/or operating foreign accounts in our names while
still in Government service, making it impossible for us to acquire the
money in our names right now. I have therefore, been delegated as a matter
of trust and urgency by my colleagues in the panel to look for an overseas
partner into whose account we would transfer the sum of US$28 million. Hence
we are writing you this letter. My Colleagues and I have agreed that if you
or your company can act as the beneficiary of this funds on our behalf, you
or your Company will retain 20% of the total amount (US$28 million), while
60% will be for us (OFFICIALS) and the remaining 20% will be used in
offsetting all debts/expenses and Taxes incurred both local and foreign in
the cause of this transfer. Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at
this juncture is enormous. In return we demand your complete honesty and
trust. You must however NOTE that this transaction will be strictly based on
the following terms and conditions as we have stated below;
a) Our conviction of your transparent honesty and diligence
b) That you would treat this transaction with utmost secrecy and
confidentiality
c) That you will not ask for more share or try to sit on the funds once it
is under your custody, or any form of blackmail.
d) That upon receipt of the funds you will release the funds as instructed
by us after you have removed your share of 20% from the total amount.
Please, note that this transaction is 100% legal and risk free and we hope
to conclude this transaction seven bank working days from the date of
receipt of the necessary requirements from you . We are looking forward to
doing business with you and solicit your Total Confidentiality in this
transaction. There is no cause for alarm. I give you my word that you are
completely safe in doing business with us. Transactions like this have been
successfully carried out in the past by most Government executives. Here in
my country there is great economic and political disarray and thus looting
and corruption is rampant and the order of
the day, thus explaining why you might have heard stories of how money is
been taken out of Nigeria, this is because everyone is making desperate
attempts to secure his or her future, so that when we retire from active
service we donot languish in poverty. I will explain more to you when I have
heard from you. Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter using the
above e-mail
address. I will bring you into the complete picture of this pending business
transaction when I have heard from you and also receive your confidential
telephone and fax numbers to enable me fax to you all necessary information
you need to know about our pending business transaction.
I will also send to you my private telephone and fax numbers where you can
always reach me.
Your urgent response will be highly appreciated to enable us transfer the
funds under this Second quarter of the year 2006.
Thank you and God Bless.
Yours faithfully,
Clement Balogun.

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