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: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:51:43 +0100
Subject: PLEASE URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL


FROM THE DESK OF MR. AHMED GARARA
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.
PRIVATE EMAIL (ahmedgarara@o2.pl)

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM THE MANAGER OF AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A) HERE IN OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO. IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF US$12.5M DOLLARS (TWELVE MILLON FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER (MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER FROM MUNICH, GERMANY) WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN JULLY 2000 IN A PLANE CRASH.FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE CRASH YOU CAN VISIT
THIS SITE:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOME BODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDLINGS 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 NOW 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 WE 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 SOME 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 AGREE THAT 40% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FORIEGN ACCOUNT WHILE 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 55% WOULD BE FOR ME THEREAFTER, I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE INDICATED. THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU ARRANGED,YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED WITH A TEXT OF APPLICATION THAT I WILL SEND TO YOU,SO I WILL LIKE YOU TO SEND TO ME YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.

UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS TRANSACTION. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH-FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVED THIS LETTER.CONTACT ME ON THIS MY PRIVATE EMAIL
(ahmedgarara@o2.pl)

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.YOURS FAITHFULLY,
1. FULL NAME
2. YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER AND FAX NUMBER
3. YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS.

THANK YOU.
MR. AHMED GARARA.

Anti-fraud resources: