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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: Paul Innocent <paul.innocent2@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: paul.innocent70@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 10:17:49 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONFIRM YOU INTEREST IN THIS INVESTMENT


INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK PLC GHANA , HIGH STREET BRANCH,
TAKORADI, GHANA.
DEAR FRIEND, COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASON .

I GOT TO KNOW OF YOU IN SEARCH FOR A REPUTABLE AND RELIABLE PERSON TO ASSIST ME IN THIS AN URGENT NEED REQUIRING UTMOST TRUST AND I DO FORE SEE THE SUPRISE THIS LETTER MAY BRING TO YOU AS IT COMES FROM UNKNOWN PERSON,BUT BE REST ASSURED AS IT COMES WITH BEST OF INTENTION .

AND I REPOSE MY CONFIDENCE AND FAITH IN MEETING YOU FOR ASSISTANCE.
THUS ,MY HUMBLE INTENTION TO SOLICI FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATION IN THIS MATTER AS IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF US THAT INVOLVED.

MY NAME IS MR PAUL.INNOCENT, I AM THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK PLC GHANA ,OF DAKAR BRANCH IN THE WESTERN REGION OF TAKORADI. I WRITES YOU THIS PROPOSAL IN GOOD FAITH, I AM 50 YEARS OLD MARRIED WITH KIDS .
I PACKAGED THIS FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT WILL BENEFIT
YOU AND I,AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK PLC .IT IS MY DUTY TO SEND IN A FINANCIAL REPORT TO MY HEAD
OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY ACCRA AT THE END OF EACH
BUSINESS YEAR.

ON THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR BUSINESS REPORT, I
DISCOVERED THAT MY BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THE MANAGER MADE
($3.6MILLIONS DOLLARS) WHICHMY HEAD OFFICE ARE NOT AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF.I HAVE PLACED THIS FUNDS ON WHAT WE CALL ESCROW ACCOUNTWITH NO BENEFICIARY.

AS AN OFFICER OF THIS BANK I CAN NOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED
TO THIS MONEY, SO MY AIM OF CONTACTING YOU IS TO ASSIST ME
TO RECEIVE THIS MONEY IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND GET $800,000.00 OF
THE TOTAL FUNDS AS COMMISSION.

THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO RISK INVOLVED, IT WILL BE A BANK
TO BANK TRANSFER, ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND AS THE
ORIGINAL DEPOSITOR WHO MADE THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO
THAT MY HEAD OFFICE CAN ORDER THE TRANSFER TO YOUR
DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT.

IF YOU ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME I WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY
MUCH AND YOU CAN REACH ME AS APPEARED ON THIS LETTER FOR MORE DETAILS IF YOU THINK THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER THE DETAILS.

NOTE:I SHALL SEND MY BANK INFORMATIONS AND PASSPORT UPON YOUR REQUEST FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION.
THANKS I WAITS YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE.

MR PAUL.INNOCENT
YOUR RESPONSE NEEDED.


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