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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: "usman ibrahim" <usmanibrahim1956@me.by>
Reply-To: usman_ibrahim7@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 04:04:11 -0700
Subject: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL & URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.


FROM THE DESK OF MR USMAN IBRAHIM,
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLUEM CORPORATION,
LAGOS NIGERIA.

DEAR FRIEND,

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL & URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

RE:TRANSFER OF U$21,500.000{TWENTY ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US
DOLLARS ONLY.

I AM MR USMAN IBRAHIM,AN ENGINEER WITH NIGERIA NATIONAL PETROLEUM
CORPORATION (NNPC) SOMETIME AGO,A CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A FOREIGN FIRM IN
THE PTF BY MY COMMITTEE. THIS CONTRACT WAS OVER INVOICED TO THE TUNE OF
US$21.5M US DOLLARS. THIS WAS DONE DELIBRATELY.

THE OVER- INVOICING WAS A DEAL BY MY COMMITTEE TO BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT.
WE NOW WANT TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY WHICH IS IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT WITH PTF
INTO ANY OVERSEA ACCOUNT WHICH WE EXPECT YOU TO PROVIDE FOR US.

WE HAVE AGGREED TO GIVE YOU 30% OF THE MONEY WILL BE YOURS FOR PROVIDING THE
ACCOUNT WHERE WE SHALL REMIT THE MONEY,60% WILL BE FOR ME AND 10% HAS BEEN
MAPPED OUT FROM THE TOTAL SUM TO COVER ANY EXPENSES THAT MAY BE INCURRED BY
US DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSFER,BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL
EXPENSES.

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT SIMILAR TRANSACTION WAS CARRIED OUT WITH
ONE MR. PATRICE MILLER, PRESIDENT OF CRANE INTERNATIONAL TRADING CORP. OF
153 EAST 57TH ST; 28TH FLOOR, NY10022, TELEPHONE: 212-3087788 AND
TELEX:6731689. THE TRANSACTION WAS CONCLUDED AND ALL COVERING DOCUMENTS WERE
FOWARDED TO MR. MILLER TO AUTHENTICATE THE CLAIM.

ONCE THE FUNDS WERE TRANSFERRED, MR. MILLER PRESENTED HIS BANK WITH ALL THE
LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND REMITTED THE WHOLE FUNDS TO ANOTHER BANK ACCOUNT AND
DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY. MY COLLEAGUES WERE SHATTERED, SINCE SUCH
OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT EASY TO COME BY.

AT THIS JUNCTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
ASSISTING ME IN THIS TRANSACTION,I WOULD REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
FROM YOU,WHICH WOULD ENABLE ME MAKE FORMAL APPLICATION TO THE VARIOUS
MINISTRIES\PARASTATAL FOR THE RELEASE AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THE MONEY TO
YOUR ACCOUNT.

THE INFORMATION I REQUIRE ARE:
YOUR COMPANY`S NAME AND ADDRESS .
YOUR BANK NAME AND ADDRESS.
YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER AND BENEFICIARY NAME.
YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR COMMUNICATIONS.

I HAVE STRONG RELIABLE CONNECTIONS AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA AND OTHER
GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS TO ASSIST US IN THE TRANSACTION, AND WHEN IT IS
FINALLY CONCLUDED I SHALL USE SAME CONTACTS TO WITHDRAW ALL DOCUMENTS USED
TO AVOID ANY TRACE TO YOU OR I.

IT MIGHT ALSO INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ORDINARY CIVIL SERVANTS WHT
DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY, SINCE I WANT THIS MONEY TRANSFERRED
BEFORE THE NEWLY DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT STARTS PROBING THE
ACTIVITIES OF ALL PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS.

PLEASE CONTACT ME THROUGH MY ABOVE THROUGH MY EMAIL ADDRESS WHETHER YOU ARE
INTRESTED IN THIS TRANSATION OR NOT TO ENABLE ME SCOUT FOR ANOTHER FOREIGN
PARTNER TO ASSIST ME. BUT IF YOU ARE INTRESTED PLEASE SEND THE REQUIRED
INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY SO THAT I CAN SWING INTO ACTION,SINCE TIME IS NOT ON
OUR PART.

I WAIT IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR FULLEST CO-COPERATION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR USMAN IBRAHIM

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