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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: "ENGR. BENJAMIN OJUM" <nddcde45@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: ojum_a1@yahoo.es
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:34:34 -0400
Subject: DIRECTIVE

MY DEAR,

THIS LETTER WILL DEFINITELY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE.
I THEREFORE TENDER MY UNRESERVED APOLOGY FOR
CONTACTING YOU THROUGH THIS MEDIUM ON A BUSINESS OF
THIS MAGNITUDE. I DO NOT WANT TO DISCLOSE MY IDENTITY
TO YOU NOW FOR SECURITY REASONS. I WILL DO THAT AS
SOON AS I GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM YOU. FOR NOW,
I WORK WITH THE NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION,
NDDC. THIS COMMISSION IS A BODY SET UP BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OF MY COUNTRY TO REDRESS THE DECADES OF
CRIMINAL NEGLECT SUFFERED BY THE OIL REGION OF THE
COUNTRY CALLED NIGER DELTA. THE COMMISSION [NDDC] IS
CHARGED WITH THE TASK TO DEVELOP THE OIL REGION SO AS
TO APPEARS THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA WHO HAVE BEEN
ATTACKING THE OIL COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE AREA.
BOTH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE OIL COMPANIES
CONTRIBUTES 30% OF THEIR BUDGET EACH TO THE NDDC FOR
THIS DEVELOPMENTAL TASK. PLEASE READ THIS:
HTTP://WWW.GASANDOIL.COM/GOC/NEWS/NTA34442.HTM
HTTP://WWW.EDCNEWS.SE/RESEARCH/NIGERIA-CONFLICTSOIL.HTML

I OBTAINED YOUR EMAIL WHILE SEARCHING FOR A RELIABLE
PERSON WHO COULD ASSIST ME IN RECEIVING CASH GIFT
FROM CONTRACTORS AWARDED CONTRACTS EXECUTED UNDER THE
CURRENT BUDGETARY ALLOCATION FOR THIS OIL REGION OF
THE COUNTRY. THE CONTRACTS HAD BEEN EXECUTED AND
COMMISSIONED; WHAT I AM ABOUT TO RECEIVE NOW IS A
PROMISED CASH GIFT FROM THE CONTRACTORS WHOM I HAVE
HELPED DURING THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE CONTRACTS
AND IN THE PROCESSING OF THEIR PAYMENTS. BUT AS A
PUBLIC SERVANT, I CAN NOT RECEIVE THE MONEY DIRECTLY
FROM THE CONTRACTORS. I THOUGHT ABOUT OPENING UP A
FOREIGN ACCOUNT IN MY NAME WHERE THE MONEY SHALL BE
PAID INTO, BUT THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS
MAKES IT AN OFFENCE FOR A PUBLIC SERVANT TO OPERATE A
FOREIGN ACCOUNT. HENCE I CALL ON YOU TO ASSIST ME
RECEIVE THIS MONEY ON MY BEHALF.

IF YOU CAN ASSURE ME THAT YOU ARE GOD FEARING AND WILL
HOLD THE MONEY FOR ME ON TRUST WHEN RELEASED TO YOU,
THEN LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY SO I CAN TELL YOU THE
DETAILS.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO RISK INVOLVED IN
RECEIVING THE CASH GIFTS ON MY BEHALF AS THE MONEY IS
A CLEAN MONEY FROM A CLEAN SOURCE. IT IS NOT IN ANY
WAY CONNECTED TO DRUG MONEY OR TERRORIST MONEY, SO IT
IS TOTALLY RISK FREE. EVERY ARRANGEMENT FOR A SMOOTH
AND A SUCCESSFUL RELEASE OF THE MONEY TO ANY
FOREIGNER OF MY CHOICE IS ALREADY IN PLACE AND AS SOON
AS YOU INDICATE YOUR INTEREST, FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
WILL BE PASSED ON TO YOU ON THE PROCEDURE THAT WE WILL
FOLLOW IN ACCOMPLISHING THIS TASK.

I WAIT TO RECEIVE YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.

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