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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: "tanko. ibrahim11" <tanko.ibrahim11@colombia.com>
Reply-To: tanko_ibrahim2007@myway.com
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 20:32:30 +0000
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT


FROM THE DESK OF TANKO IBRAHIM
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER BANK OF AFRICA.
OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO.
TOP
SECRET
Dear Friend i am TANKO IBRAHIM the bill and exchange manager at the foreign
remittance department of BANK OF AFRICA.

I got your contact from the internet ,while seaching for an honest and trust
worthy person, who will assist me to implement this transfer.

In my department i discovered an abandoned sum of U.S$22.5m US dollars
(twenty two Million FIVE HUNDRED THOUSANDUS dollars) in an account that
belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family
in November 2003 in a plane crash.

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next if
kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless
somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as
indicated in our banking guidlines and laws but unfortunately we learnt that
all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the
plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I decided to make this business
proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation
to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is
coming for it and I don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as
unclaimed bill.

The banking law and guidline here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after five years, the money will be transfered into the bank
treasury as unclaimed fund.

The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occassioned by
the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as
next of kin to a foreigner. I therefore soliciting for your assistance to
come forward as the next of kin.

I have agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as the beneficiary in
respect of the provision of your Account and services rendered, 55% would be
for me while 5% will be for expencses incured during the cause of thIS
transaction If the money is transferred to your Account from BANK OF AFRICA,
I and my family in this transaction will proceed immediately to your country
for our own share of the money.

I expect you to keep this business strictly confidential and secret as you
may wish to know that I am Bank official.

Be rest assured that this business is 100% risk free on both side and every
arrangement to transfer this money to the Account you are going to provide
have been concluded provided we maintain the confidentiality and
secreceirity involved. Contact me on my email address I am looking forward
for your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

TANKO IBRAHIM
Bill & Exchange MANAGER

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