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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: "Central Bank of Nigeria" <vapfvdeptcbn4@student.com>
Reply-To: vapfv@inMail24.com
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:51:22 +0000
Subject: SCAM VICTIMS/1 MILLION US DOLLARS COMPENSATION


From : Dir. Verification and Payment Dept
Central Bank of Nigeria
2008 Compensations payment
Date: 27/06/2008

Attn: Sir/Madam

SCAM VICTIMS/1 MILLION US DOLLARS COMPENSATION
REF/PAYMENTS CODE:06654

This is to bring to your notice that I am delegated from the United Nations
to Central Bank of Nigeria to pay 300 Nigerian 419 scam victims $1 Million
each, you are listed and approved for this payments as one of the scammed
victims, get back to us as soon as possible for the immediate payments of
your $1 Million compensations funds.

On this faithful recommendations we want you to know that during the last UN
meeting held at Abuja Nigeria, it was alarmed so much by the rest of the
world in the meeting on the lose of funds by various foreigners to the scams
artists/ syndicates operating all over the world today, in other to retain
the good image of the country, the new president of Nigeria is now paying
300 victims of this operators $1 Million USD each, Due to the corrupt and
inefficient banking systems in Nigeria, the payments are to be paid by
Central Bank of Nigeria as corresponding paying bank under funding
assistance by the National West Minster Bank London.

According to the number of applicants at hand, 100 beneficiaries has been
paid, half of the victims are from the United States, we still have more 200
left to be paid the compensations of $1 Million each. Your particulars was
mentioned by one of the syndicates who was arrested in Lagos - Nigeria as
one of their victims of the operations, you are hereby warned not to
communicate or duplicate this message to him for any reason what so ever,
the US secret service is already on trace of the criminal.

You are to receive your compensations payments via (1) WIRE TRANSFER, OR (2)
ATM CARD, I shall feed you with further modalities as soon as I hear from
you.

Yours faithfully,

Rev. Festus James

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