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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: "Mr.Austin uwabor" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <united_billharris@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:09:35 -0400
Subject: Momentous Letter: you must read!

Mr.Austin uwabor
Chief accountant,
Accounting department
Zenith Bank Plc
Marina- branch,
Lagos.
 
Attention:
Re: transfer of the sum of us$30.5m dollars into your account.
 
First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction. This is by virtue of its nature
 
as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this
 
magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried. But I am assuring you that all will be
 
well at the end of the day. We have decided to contact you through this medium due to the
 
urgency of this transaction as we have been reliably informed of your discreteness and
 
ability.
 
my name is Mr.Austin uwabor, chief accountant, accounting department Zenith Bank Plc I am
 
writing in respect of a foreigner, a Mexican national, late engineer Carlos Montoya , an oil
 
merchant/contractor with the federal government of Nigeria, until his death three years ago
 
in a ghastly terrorist attack to American airline flight 11,from Boston, Massachusetts, to
 
los Angeles, California, crashed into the north tower of the world trade center with 92
 
people on board,
 
You can visit the website for more confirmation of this
 
proposal.http://www.cnn.com/specials/2001/trade.center/victims/aa11.victims.html
 
Sequel to this, fervent valuable efforts were made by Zenith Bank Plc to get in touch with
 
any of the Carlos Montoya 's family or relatives but proved to no avail. it is because of
 
the perceived possibility of not being able to locate any of the late Engr.Carlos Montoya
 
... next-of-kin (he have no wife and children) that the management under the influence of
 
our honorable chairman and members of the board of directors, that arrangement will be made
 
for the fund to be declared"un-claimable" and subsequently be donated to the trust fund for
 
the purchase of arms and ammunitions to further enhance the course of war in Africa and the
 
world in general.
 
"War is a crime against humanity" in order to avert this crude and negative development,
 
some of my trusted colleagues and I now seek your permission to have you stand as the
 
next-of-kin to late Engr.! Mr. Carlos Montoya, so that the fund us$30.5m would be released
 
and paid into your account as the beneficiary's next-of kin. All documents and proves to
 
enable you receive this fund will be carefully worked out and more so as professional
 
bankers, we are assuring you of 100% risk free involvement. Your share stays while the rest
 
will be for myself and my colleagues for investment purposes in your country.
 
i agreed that 20% will be your share as a foreign partner in respect of providing an account
 
while 10% will take of any expenses that might be incurred in the process of succeeding the
 
transfer and the rest will be for me and partners which will contribute to make everything
 
possible. Thereafter I will visit your country for disbursement, as I am almost due for
 
retirement. Upon the receipt of you.
 
I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should
 
not entertain any fear as the whole required arrangement as been perfected for the transfer.
 
You are to provide for us, your name and address, phone and fax numbers (private) your full
 
name as you want it to appear in your application form of claim and little information’s
 
about yourself, so that i equally know your ability to handle this transaction.
 
Have a nice day
Best regards,
Mr.Austin uwabor
Chief accountant,
Zenith Bank Plc.
 

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