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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: "debit card update" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <atmcardunit2002@sify.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 00:24:02 -0800
Subject: debit card update

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
This is to officially inform you about our recent agreement with the Federal Government of
 
Nigeria to handle all their foreign contract /inheritance payments. Based on this
 
development we have verified your ontract/inheritance file and discovered reasons why you
 
are yet to receive your payment. It is because of irregularities and complications
 
discovered on your payment file by our technical experts in respect to your contract
 
/inheritance payment requirements which have just been duly rectified.
 
However, our intelligent monitory unit to stop any further dealings with impostors and
 
non-recommended officials in the bank has informed us, such acts must stop for security
 
reasons,if you wish to receive your payment in time and accordingly since we have decided
 
to bring a solution to your problem, right now we have arranged your payment through our
 
atm swift card payment center of Inter Continental Bank Plc, that is the latest
 
instruction by our President Chief, Umaru Musa Yar"adua (GCFR) Federal Republic of Nigeria
 
through the Minister of Finance Mrs. Nenadi Usman. Below is the arrangement The swift card
 
center will send you an atm card which you will use to withdrew your money from any atm
 
machine in any part of the world, but the maximum is (Sixty-thousand dollars $60,000.00)
 
per day, so if you like to receive your fund this way please do let us know by contacting
 
the atm card payment center of Inter Continental Bank Plc, so contact the director Nelson
 
Ibeh in charge of ATM swift card center.
 
1) Address where you want them to send the card through diplomatic courier
Service (P.O Box not accepted)
2) Your full name and total amount you are expecting, Instead of losing your
3} You’re direct telephone numbers
4} A copy of your international passport
 
Please indicate to the card center the total sum you are expecting and for your
 
information, you have to stop any further communication with any institution or office
 
until you receive the Atm card. Note: because of impostors, we hereby issue you our code
 
of conduct tag number, which is (805) so you must have to indicate this code when
 
contacting the card center. We await your
 
urgent response.
 
Best regards,
 
Nelson Ibeh
Director ATM Department,
Inter Continental Bank Plc

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