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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: "DR.STEPHEN SALAVI ECOWAS GROUP CHAIRMAN" <stephensalav16@live.com>
Reply-To: <stephensalav01@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:32:28 +0000
Subject: IMMEDIATE RELEASE/PAYMENT




ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES(ECOWAS).
ECOWAS HEADQUATER LOME-TOGO UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF ECOWAS FINANCIAL WATCH DOG.

YOUR OVER DUE CONTRACT/INHERITANCE FUNDS
Our Ref: ECOWAS/FWDC/CBX/021/07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE/PAYMENT #: MAV/EFWD/ECOB/MIN/009.
Attention. Beneficiary,

This is to bring to your notice about the due process of your outstanding Contractual/Inheritance payment which was suspended by the ECOBANK, Under the Supervision and Instruction from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), thereby stopping the telex unit to pause the transfer of your contract/inheritance funds to your nominated bank account. As a result of this development, verification conducted by the ECOWAS Financial Watch Dog in conjunction with the Debt Verification Panel on your contract/inheritance case, your file has been endorsed for payment awaiting your confirmations.

For your Information, ECOBANK is the Economic Community of West African States's Paying Bank, which is in control of all Foreign financial transactions originated within all ECOWAS countries, such as Nigeria, Benin Republic, Republic of Togo, Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire.

During the auditing and closing of all Foreign transaction records of the ECOWAS Paying Bank (ECOBANK). it was discovered from the records of outstanding foreign contractors/Inheritors due for payment with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),in the year 2006/2007 that your name and company is next on the list of those who will receive a certified and approved instrumental payment of USD$5.5m.(Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) being part of their funds transfer which is paused and lodging in the ECOBANK Vault till date. But unfortunately, none of your representative/ agent was able to tell you the truth of your funds whereabout, thinking that there is manover in our service which may have in the past caused you alot of inconveniences.

Meanwhile, a woman came to my office few days ago with a letter, claiming to be your true representative, and thereby requesting an approval of transfer to enable ECOBANK do transfer of the due certified and approved instrumental payment of USD$5.5m.out of your total Funds. Here are her information for you to confirm to this office if this woman is truly from you or not, so that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),will not be held responsible for paying into the wrong account.

NAME: MRS. JANET WHITE
BANK NAME: CITI BANKBANK ADDRESS: ARIZONA, USA.ACCOUNT NUMBER: 6503809428.

Please, do reconfirm to this office, as a matter of urgency if this woman is from you. You are requested to fill and send this information for verifications purposes so that your certified and approved Instrumental payment will be remitted into your nominated bank account.

Information needed from you for verification is as follow:
(1) Your full name and address:(2) Your age and marital status:(3) Your occupation:(4) Your telephone/fax number:(5) Your nationality: As soon as we receive this, we will commence with all necessary procedures in other for ECOBANK to remit this money into your account. The Executive Board of Directors approved and accredited this reputable ECOWAS Financial Watch Dog committee on foreign over due inheritance funds to commence payment proceeding through the ECOWAS Paying bank (ECOBANK) through the office of the international remittance/foreign operations, to handle and supervise the transfer of all foreign inheritance funds for this last quarter payment of the year 2007.

However, we shall proceed to issue approval for Intrumental payments details to the said Mrs. White, if we do not hear from you within the next seven working days from today. We are sorry for any inconvenience the delay in transferring of this fund must have caused you in the past which according to record was as a result of mis- handled by local bank which tried to transfer your funds at once without the knowledge of ECOWAS Paying Bank(ECOBANK).

Best Regards.Dr. Stephen SalaviGroup Chairman,ECOWAS Financial Watch Dog.On Foreign Payment precessment and Transfer.
CC: ECOWAS CHAIRMANCC: ALL FOREIGN PAYMENT OFFICESCC: BOARD OF DIRECTORS [FPD]CC: ACCOUNTANT GENERAL.
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