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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mpplllkkuu1111@mail.mn>
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 11:47:55 +0100
Subject: Ecobank Nigeria Plc

Ecobank Nigeria Plc
Plot 21, Ahmadu Bello Way,
Victoria Island.
Lagos - Nigeria.
Tel: 234-704-099-5854
Ref: EBP/NG-PT/FP0037/2010
Attention Beneficiary:
Following to the credit instruction received today from the World Bank of Switzerland to release your Inheritance/winnings fund to you for this Quarter payment release order.This is to inform you that we have process the remittance of your fund to your bank account as we have been mandated to pay you by Telegraphic Wire Transfer direct to your bank account. So you are advice to write us and as well call upon the receipt of this Official Letter
Be inform that the Inheritance/winning file we received in our office today from the World Bank of Switzerland, your name have been short-listed for payment, and the amount we have in your file is US$5.8 million (Five million, Eight Hundred United States Dollars), which is to be transferred direct to your bank account.Based on that, you are required to provide us with the below information that will aid us check-mate if it is inline with what we have in our Central Computer Unit for effective transfer.
Your Names (Surname) …. (First Name) …. (Last Name) …
Contacts address (Not P.O. Box)…
Office Tel, Mobile/Cell and Fax
Occupation, Age and Marital Status
Bank information (Details)
Copy of your passport, or driver’s license.
Warning: We deemed it necessary to inform you that you should stop every illegal communication that you are having with any office or officials from now onward, because we should not be held responsible for any problem that might occur, if you persist to continue with any office or officials.
Yours truly,
Mr. Jibril Aku 
Executive Director
Ecobank Nigeria Plc

Anti-fraud resources: