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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 John C. Igwe" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <chibuike7777777@inMail24.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:00:58 -0800
Subject: CYBERCRIME SCAM VICTIMS COMPENSATION PROJECT

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE JOINT VENTURE PROJECT ON CYBERCRIMES, FINANCIAL CRIMES
COMMISSIO(FCC),CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA AND MICROSOFT CO. INTERNATIONAL.CENTRAL
BANK OF NIGERIA
INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
TINUBU SQUARE LAGOS- NIGERIA
PMB 156 GARKI FCT ABUJA
Microsoft International Cyber crimes Unit.
Microsoft Corporation
Financial Crimes Commission
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
REF NUMBERS/CODE: 07754.
MINIMUM PAYMENT SUM: 200,000GBP



Attn :Dear Victims,
CYBERCRIME SCAM VICTIMS COMPENSATION PROJECT

This is to bring to your notice that I have been delegated by the FCC, MICROSOFT INTERNATIONAL,
President of Microsoft, representing Africa, Middle West Africa and Mr. Kalu Charles and United Nations
directorate on security, Mr. Colin Munro , to collate details and make suitable arrangements to pay 250
scam victims the minimum sum of 200,000 GBP (Two Hundred Thousand Pounds) each. In which we are to
pay 100 victims in this second quarter. You have been listed for this payment as one of the scammed
victims and beneficiaries to be paid this aforementioned amount, get back to us as soon as possible for
proper assessment."Nevertheless, note that, this payment will only be implemented based on your
presentation/declaration of proven documents and very convincing storyline of how you made this
payments (State the nature of scam e.g. lottery, next of kin, purchases, shopping, banking e.t.c, dates,
location, mode of payments and amounts slips, if any , to the scams artists. That notwithstanding, this
faithful recommendations, know that during the last U.N meetings held. It was alarmed by so many countries
delegates in the meetings on the loss of funds by various individuals to the scams artists operating in
syndicates all over the world today. In other to compensate victims, the U.N Body in conjunction with
the FCC and Microsoft is now paying 250 victims of these operators 200,000 GBP each in accordance
with the U.N recommendations. Due to the corrupt and inefficient Banking Systems, the payments are to
be supervised by the United Nations' Officials Central Bank of nigeria as the corresponding paying banks.
after which an investigation had been carried out by our own security operatives and due approval had
been given by our delegated lawyers who are in charge of the cases in court. Then we will now instruct
the banks to commence immediate payment procedures. You can receive your compensations payments
via any of this options you Choose, DRAFT/CHEQUE PAYMENTS or WIRE TRANSFERS.According to the
number of applicants at hand, 150 Beneficiaries have been paid; half of the victims are from the United
States of America (USA) and Canada. We still have 100 beneficiaries left to be paid the compensation of
200,000 GBP each. Your particulars was mentioned by one of the Syndicates who was arrested as one of
their victims of the operations, you are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to him
for any reason what so ever as the U.S. secret service is already on trace of the other criminals. So keep it
secret until they have all been apprehended. Other victims who have not been contacted can submit their
application as well for scrutiny and possible consideration as earlier stated above.

Therefore, the United Nation Cyber/Anti - crimes commission, Financial Crimes Commission (FCC), have
combined effort with CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, to alleviate and redeem the image and past wounds of
foreigners and firms who were defrauded, scammed and abandoned by this syndicates to slight down our
dignities to international communities. Many banks have been in bankruptcy today, Universal firms,
Companies and individuals due to the activity of these hoodlums. However, investigation have shown
that these people have dropped over 1,000,000 victims after collecting their money falsefuly, many
committed suicide, homeless and others living by the grace of God. With the sanity presently at hand,
we have over 1170 convicts at hand, 560 in prisons. While many are still awaiting trail while we still
fetch for others who feel they are wise and hope that you will be our friend by giving us more information
as per clue in apprehending them.
For Success Stories for verification, money recovered returned and you can visit:

http://www.slashnot.com/articles/category/microsoft/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/29/dutch_police_arrest_52_email/
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0198-72119/FBI-uses-convicted-criminal-to.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/21/romanian_id_fraud_clampdown/
Upon receipt of your reply, I shall feed you with further modalities as soon as I hear from you.
I will send you by fax or E-mail the next step to take.
Yours Faithfully,
Dr John C. Igwe
Head, Media & Publicity

Anti-fraud resources: