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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: ENGR DR MARTINS <engrdrmartins@msn.com>
Reply-To: <engrdrnmartins@live.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:29:41 +0000
Subject: WE SOLICITING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.





ENGR DR MARTINS NELSON
5TH FLOOR.
OFFICE 6 KINGS WAY ROAD IKORODU.

WE SOLICITING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

Sir,

We write to solicit your assistance in an urgent business transaction, Which we hope to execute under condition of strict confidentiality. You Were recommended by an official of the Nigeria-American Chambers of Commerce who assured us in confidence of your capability and reliability in the execution of a transaction of this magnitude that required maximum confidence and trust. We are indeed top government functionaries and current members of the CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL, which was set up by the present administration, to among others carry out a comprehensive review of all contracts that were awarded between 1995- 1999 before the democratic government of president Obasanjo. In the course of carrying out our assigned duties, we discovered a mouth watery sum of US$31.8m (Thirty one million, eight hundred thousand dollars), which is presently lying idle in a suspense account with our apex bank and not tied to any project. When we submitted our final report early this year, we deliberately refused to reflect this amount in our report because of our inordinate desire to make a fortune for ourselves by transferring the entire sum to a foreign country so that we can benefit from it. This sum on application is ready to be transferred into the account of any foreign partner of our choice who is willing and prepared to assist us. We cannot achieve this objective alone because as civil Servants, we are barred from operating foreign account. At the moment, we are interested in the importation of goods into our country with these funds, which are presently trapped in this suspense account in Nigeria.

In order to commence business, we solicit your assistance to enable us transfer into your account, the said trapped funds. The source of this fund has been traced to an over invoiced contract by the then military officers when they were in power but could not effect the transfer of this fund to their cronies account in Switzerland before they quit the political arena in 1999. Now that we are face with this rare Opportunity, we have no option than to capitalize on it and lay claim to these funds together with a foreign partner.


This were you come in. Our desire is to transfer this sum into your Account and fly down to meet with you much later so that we can collect our share. We have agreed in principle to share the funds as follows: 25% or more will be for you for your assistance, 70% comes to us as the Initiators of this noble dream and idea, while the balance 5%
has been set aside to take care of unforeseen expenses while this transaction last. All modality for the smooth transfer of this fund has been worked out and it met all legal and administrative requirements in Nigeria as applicable to foreign contractor’s payment in the past. If you agree to assist us, with in a period of two weeks or 10 working days, this fund would have been transferred and confirmed in your account.

Please indicate your willingness if you agreed to our proposal by Contacting the me on my email address for more information and Clarification. If on the other hand you decline our offer, fine. We would appreciate if you could inform us to enable us search for another personality to assist us at the same time, keep it with you
please.
If you are interested to assist us for claim of the Found, indicate
interest by sending to us the requirements stated bellow:-


DETAILS INFORMATION REQUIRED FROM YOU.

1. Your Private or companies Account
Number

2 The name and address of your Bank, the telex, telephone and fax number
of the bank.

3. A/c Swift Code Number.

4. Your Private telephone and Fax number and your Address.
This requirement will enable us to obtain the approval needed for the
Release of this fund into your account as soon as it is approved in our Favor.


Thanks.

Yours sincerely,
ENGR DR MARTINS NELSON [Secretary; Contract Review Panel]


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