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: "Wilson Chibuike" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rtm.williamsjnr@googlemail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:32:31 -0700
Subject: Hello!!

 
>From the Office of:
Mr. Chibuike Wilson.
+234 1 666 3090
 
Attn:  Beneficiary,
 
 
This is to bring to your notice that I am delegated from
the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay 150 scam victims
the sum of  (ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
STATE DOLLAR) each. You are listed and approved for this
payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this
amount, get back to me as soon as possible for the immediate
payments of your compensations funds.
 
 
Due to the corrupt and inefficient Banking Systems in Nigeria, the payments are
to be supervised by the United Nations' Officials and the Central Bank of Nigeria and the corresponding paying bank InterContinental Bank PLC. According to the number of names we have received, 114 Beneficiaries has been paid, half of the victims are from the United States, we still have more 36 left to be paid the compensation. 
 
 
Your particulars was mentioned by one of the Syndicates who was arrested as one of their victims of their operations, you are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to any person for any reason what so ever as the U.S.secret service is already working with relevant security agents in Nigeria to trace the other criminals presently at large.
 
Other victims who have not been contacted can submit their application as well for scrutiny and possible consideration.
 
 
You are thereby advised to contact the private client office of the Inter-Continental Bank PLC in
Nigeria with the following information.
 
 
Your full names:
Your present address:
Your Phone number:
Your Present occupation:
Your Identification card.
 
 
You will receive your compensations payments through, we demand you reconfirm your particulars for urgent attention to your case.
 
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Chibuike Wilson.
 

Anti-fraud resources: