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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "=?gb2312?B?s8LB1g==?=" <lichen@detong.com.cn>
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 5:45:06 +0800
Subject: =?gb2312?B?UExFQVNFIEdFVCBCQUNLIFRPIE1F?=

From George Brown
Nigeria National Petroleun Corporation
P.O Box 6543 Victorian Island, Lagos
Nigeria
Email: georgebnnpc3@yahoo.com.hk
Date: 08-11-2008

Dear Friend,

My name is George Brown. It is my pleasure to write this mail basically to seek your consent on transaction which involves transfer of an over-invoiced sum of money from my ministry to your bank account. The amount involved is US$25million.

I am a member of the Contract Award Committee (CAC) in my ministry Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The amount was intentionally over-invoiced for our benefit. We have worked carefully to secure the approval of the fund since the original contract value has been paid on completion of the contract in 2006. Then the remaining balance of the US$25million is what we intend to transfer secretly to you using your bank account details.

The civil service code of conduct does not allow any serving officer to operate a foreign bank account, we are seriously handicapped to transfer the fund to an offshore account hence this contact to you. It is on this basis that I thought it wisely to use a foreigner to receiver the fund for our mutual benefit. We shall draw an agreement to back up this transaction and also to spell out our duties, sharing modalities and safety of the fund in your bank account.

If you are interested, please contact me urgently through the email for us to reason together to get the transaction realized soon.

Summarily, there is no single risk involve having taken care of all forms of obstacles that would pose some risks in the deal. To avoid taking things for granted. The transaction will be processed legitimately with all legal proof on the execution of the contract.

I urgently expect your response for more details. Via this email box: georgebnnpc3@yahoo.com.hk

Regards
George Brown

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