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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: "Director of foreign funds investigation" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <frank_spencer10@live.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:18:29 +0100
Subject: RE: IMMEDIATE WIRE TRANSFER OF FUNDS WITH INTEREST OF USD$12.5 MILLION.

RE: IMMEDIATE WIRE TRANSFER OF FUNDS WITH INTEREST OF USD$12.5 MILLION.


Dear Sir,


We wish to intimate you that your payment files have been forwarded to this honorable office for final verification before the wire transfer of your fund to your account. Based on our investigation we understood you have made several payments to different people incapable, wrong hands that can not release your fund you. I was appointed to foresee all these that have happened to you in the past, all the express approvals have been made by my very self and nobody is asking you for any documents fees mark the word. The only clearance we will give to you is your fund release order authority and your legal payment confirmation slip which you will take to your bank for confirmation. Everything we are doing right now is genuine and we want absolute transparency to exist between us for the successfulness of the transfer of your fund to your account.


You are not required to make any payment as we are working legally and genuinely as appointed, we are not here to lie to you or deceive you, we want you to receive your fund and be happy in life with your family and invest your money properly. We don¦ want you to loose your fund, been cancel or been diverted to start all over again. This is very urgent and important as your fund have been programmed we don¦ want any delay from any foreign fund beneficiary as we are working for your benefit and interest. To this end, no more fees again as your fund will be wire to your nominated bank account first thing tomorrow as soon as we hear from you by today, we will send to you the wire transfer slip as soon as the transfer is completed.


Note: you are to reconfirm your banking details immediately where you want us to transfer this fund into and your private telephone numbers and the information below:

Full name: .
Sex: .
Birth data: .
Current occupation: .
Marital status: .
Home address: .
Country: .
Mobile phone:.

As soon as we hear from you, Your fund to be transfer as approved is US$ 12.5 million with the interest.
Awaiting urgent response .their is no time to delay this golden opportunity.
Congratulations and good luck.


Thank you.
Frank Spencer
TEL: 234-1-763-2859

Director of foreign funds investigation.

Anti-fraud resources: