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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: "MRS GRACE SMITH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <atmpaymentcenter@uku.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 04:33:51 -0800
Subject: immediate release of your us$2.3million via atm payment card

UNITED NATION (UN)
 
 
>From the desk of
Rev Dr Grace Smith
Director United Nation (UN)
On foreign payment matters and human right department USA office
 
 
Immediate Release of Your FUND Via ATM CARD.
 
Attention: ATM Card Beneficiary, 
 
I wish to use this medium to inform you that your CONTRACT/INHERITANCE Part Payment of USD$2.3M (Two Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars) from CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA have been RELEASED and APPROVED for onward transfer to you via an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw all the USD$2.3M in any ATM SERVICE MACHINE in any part of the world, but the maximum you can withdraw in a day is USD$2,500 OnlyWe have mandated Oceanic Bank Nigeria Plc, to send you the ATM CARD and PIN NUMBER which you will use to withdraw all your USD$2.3 Million Dollars in any ATM SERVICE MACHINE in any part of the world, but the maximum you can withdraw in a day is USD$2,500.00 Only.
 
You are therefore advice to contact the Head of ATM CARD Department   Contact Person:
 
Dr John Lee ,
E-mail   atmpaymentcenter@uku.co.uk
Open phone number: +234 7069771944
 
Tell Dr john lee  that you received a message from the United nation ,instructing him to send you the ATM CARD and PIN NUMBER which you will use to withdraw your USD$2.3Million Dollars in any ATM SERVICE MACHINE in any part of the world, also send him
Your full name
your  phone number
Your age
contact address
where you want him to send the ATM CARD
and PIN NUMBER to you.
 
We are very sorry for the plight you have gone through in the past years.  Thanks for adhering to this instruction and once again accept our congratulations.
 
Best Regards.
REV MRS GRACE SMITH
Director United Nation (UN)
On foreign payment matters and human right department USA office
 
 

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