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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: "DR. HOWARD MILLER" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <paymentdepartmentunionbank00@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 06:20:15 -0700
Subject: IMMEDIATE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION VALUED AT US$25 MILLION

UNION BANK NIGERIA PLC
FOREIGN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
#2 AJOSE ADEOGUN STREET,
VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS-NIGERIA
Our Ref: UBN-0XX2/987/2009
TELEPHONE: +234-8050742340
Email:paymentdepartmentunionbank00@gmail.com
 
Dear Beneficiary,
 
It is my humble obligation to write you this message in confirmation ofyour fund payment through our honorable bank
 
(UNION BANK). I am Dr. Howard Miller, The Director, foreign operations department Union bank Nigeria Plc.Umar Musa
 
Yar' Adua, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ,has empowered my bank after much consultation and
 
consideration to handle all international payment.
As the newly appointed/approved international paying bank, we have been instructed by the Federal Ministry of
 
Finance in conjunction with the Senate Committee on national Debt and the Board of National Contract Review Panel to
 
release your over due contract funds; contract #:MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009, Transaction #: CBC/RXC/234 with Allocation #:
 
UBN/X44/701BZ/FG/NG.
Be informed that we have verified your payment agreement file as directed to us; your name is next on the list of
 
our outstanding contractors to received payment at the First quarter of the year.
 
Be advised that because of too many beneficiaries of inheritance due for payment at this quarter of the year, you
 
are entitled to receive the sum of Twenty Five Million United States Dollars (US$25,000,000) only, as part payment
 
so as to enable us pay other beneficiaries.
To facilitate with the process of this transaction, please kindly re-confirm the following information below:
 
1) Your full name and address
2) Phones, Fax and Mobile #.
3) Name of your company, position and address
4) Profession, age and marital Status.
5) Copy of your driver's license for identification
 
As soon as we receive the above stated information, your payment will be released directly to your nominated bank
 
account without any further delay
 
Yours faithfully,
DR. HOWARD MILLER
DIRECTOR, FOREIGN OPERATIONS

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