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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: " Wood" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:23:40 -0000
Subject: INFORMATION

>From The Desk of Dr. Elizabeth Wood
Head of Legal and Financial Crime Dept (International Transfer)
Consolidated Credits Bank Ltd
8 Abeka Lapaz
Accra Ghana



PAYMENT OF YOUR CHARITY FUNDS AT LAST.


I am Dr. Elizabeth Wood, the head of the legal department which is the Authorized paying centre to the Bank of Ghana, also called the Central bank of Ghana.

We write to inform you that we received a letter of mandated in your favor from the Government of Ghana in references to your file concerning your incomplete Charity Payment Plan.

We have documents relating to your controversial charity payment.

Records show your unfruitful efforts to claim such funds despite failed promises from bank officials and government agencies from Ghana.

In view of this, I wish to give you a sign of relief as we recently discovered that your funds were invested in the Defunct Bank.

According to investigations, we got to know about all these after top officials of the bank were sacked.

CAUTION:
========

The funds would be paid out to you, but only after proper verification that you are the rightful beneficiary of the funds.

You are therefore required to fill the below form for immediate payment processing and possible release within the stipulated time Frame.

PAYMENT REPROCESSING FORM.
============================

NAME OF BENEFICIARY:
ADDRESS OF BENEFICIARY:
TELEPHONE NUMBER(S) OF BENEFICIARY:
OCCUPATION/POSITION HELD AT WORK:
AGE AND MARITAL STATUS:
AMOUNT OF FUNDS:
SEND TO US VIA FAX OR EMAIL ATTACHMENT COPY OF YOUR DRIVERS LICENSES OR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT.

============================

** Please, give brief explanations of your recent and past efforts to claim your funds, and let us know the charges/fees you have so far paid without fruitful efforts. You are also warned to stop your present and future communication with those you have been dealing with in the past, as our bank is the only Financial Institution with the full authority to release your funds.

Yours Faithfully

>From The Desk of Dr. Elizabeth Wood
Head of Legal and Financial Crime Dept (International Transfer)
Consolidated Credits Bank Ltd

Anti-fraud resources: