joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "alhaji Musa Usman" <usman.alhajimusa@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:02:00 -0700
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT VIA HSBC-VISA ATM DEBIT CARD.


Central Bank of Nigeria
Tinubu Square , Victoria Island ,
Lagos - Nigeria
Office of the Deputy Governor
From The Desk Of:
ALHAJI. MUSA USMAN

Attention: Beneficiary,

YOUR PAYMENT VIA HSBC-VISA ATM DEBIT CARD.

This is to inform you about your email success in our computer balloting
held on 21st March 2008 . It was an internet draw by the combination of the
International Monetary funds (IMF) and the Microsoft words. However, your
email address was approved as one of the winners hence you are being
contacted. This is a Millennium Scientific and a promotional program aimed
at encouraging internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to
enter for it.

As a matter of fact, account normalization of your banking details has been
delayed by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Financial Services
Authority (UK). This has made it necessary for your payment to be programmed
into HSBC Visa Atm Debit Card. The total fund in question is $8,300,000.00
this is the first part of the Payment of which the balance will subsequently
be paid into same account.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), working in relationship with HSBC London
and also Leeds Bank in London has concluded to issue you a VISA CARD with
which you can access your Star prize /beneficiary amount$8,300,000.000 This
card center will send you an ATM card which you will use to withdraw your
money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maximum is Twenty
Thousand United States Dollars ($20,000.00) per day. So if you like to
receive your fund in this way, please let us know by contacting the ATM
payment department and also send the following information as listed below:

1. Full name and full country name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address where you want them to send the ATM card to (P.O box is not
acceptable)
4. Your age and current occupation.

You are advice to contact the director of ATM CARD payment officer for more
directives,
Rev.Daniel William, Director, ATM payment department
Email: revdanwilliam@yahoo.fr

The ATM card payment center was mandated to issue out $8,300,000.00 as part
payment for this fiscal year 2008 to you so bear with us. Also for your
information, you have to stop any further communication with any other
person(S) or office(S) to avoid any hitches in receiving your payment.

Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of conduct,
which is (ATM-811) so you have to indicate this code when contacting the
card center by using it as your subject.

We anticipate your total compliance to this message immediately.

YOURS SINCERELY,
ALHAJI. MUSA USMAN.
ASSISTANT DEPUTY GOVERNOR [CBN]

Anti-fraud resources: