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: "Sanusi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sanusil45@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:43:54 -0800
Subject: PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

 
MR.SANUSI LAMIDO AMINU
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
TELE: 234-8053745532
 
ATTENTION:SIR/MADAM,
 
THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR OVER DUE INHERITANCE FUNDS HAS BEEN GAZETTED TO BE RELEASED,
 
VIA KEY TELEX TRANSFER (KTT) -DIRECT WIRE TRANSFER TO YOU OR THROUGH ANY OF OUR
 
CORRESPONDENT BANK NOMINATED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN OVER DUE FUND TRANSFER.
 
MEANWHILE, A WOMAN CAME TO MY OFFICE FEW DAYS AGO WITH A LETTER, CLAIMING TO BE YOUR TRUE
 
REPRESENTATIVE. HERE ARE HER INFORMATION’S FOR YOU TO CONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE IF THIS WOMAN
 
IS TRULY FROM YOU OR NOT SO THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR
 
PAYING INTO ANY WRONG ACCOUNTS.
 
CLAIM’S NAME: JANET WHITE BANK NAME: CITI BANK ARIZONA, USA. ACCOUNT NUMBER:
 
6503809428.ROUTING.314085504. PLEASE, DO RECONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IF
 
THIS WOMAN IS FROM YOU.
 
YOU ARE REQUESTED TO FILL AND SEND THIS INFORMATION’S FOR VERIFICATIONS PURPOSES SO THAT
 
YOUR FUND VALID US$23.8M (TWENTYTHREE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS.)
 
WILL BE REMITTED INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT ANY WHERE. THIS FUND IS AS A RESULT OF
 
INHERITANCE ON YOUR BEHALF. INFORMATION NEEDED FROM YOU FOR VERIFICATION IS AS FOLLOWS:
 
1.YOUR NAME:………………………………………………………
2. YOUR FULL ADDRESS:………………………………………………….
3. YOUR TELEPHONE ……………………………………………………..
4. FAX……………………………………………………………………………
5. AGE……………………………………………………………………………
6. SEX:…………………………………………………………………………….
7. YOUR OCCUPATION:……………………………………………………
8. YOUR BANKING DETAILS:………………………………………………..
 
AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE THIS, WE WILL COMMENCE WITH ALL NECESSARY PROCEDURES IN OTHER TO REMIT
 
THIS MONEY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. THE CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL
 
MINISTRY OF FINANCE (FMF) EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN
 
OVER DUE INHERITANCE FUND HAVE APPROVED AND ACCREDITED THIS REPUTABLE BANK WITH THE OFFICE
 
OF THE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE/FOREIGN OPERATIONS, TO HANDLE AND TRANSFER ALL
 
FOREIGNINHERITANCE FUNDS THIS QUARTER PAYMENT OF THE YEAR 2009.
 
HOWEVER, WE SHALL PROCEED TO ISSUE ALL PAYMENTS DETAILS TO THE SAID MRS.WHITE, IF WE DO NOT
 
HEAR FROM YOU WITHIN THE NEXT SEVEN WORKING DAYS FROM TODAY. WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY
 
INCONVENIENCE THE DELAY IN TRANSFERRING OF THIS FUND MUST HAVE CAUSED YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS.
 
MR.SANUSI LAMIDO AMINU
NEW GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN).
CC: SENATE PRESIDENT
CC: BOARD OF DIRECTORS [FPD]
CC: ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF NIGERIA
 

Anti-fraud resources: