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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: "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION WASHINGTON DC" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <usafederalbbi@sify.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:58:58 +0100
Subject: Re: YOUR PAYMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED !!!!

Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. J. Edgar.
Hoover Building Washington D.C
 
Base on the informations reaching us from IRS  and our Monitoring Network System (MNS) some illegal officers, in the Apex Bank whose names you find listed below, have been apprehended by the legal authorities, for not releasing your Inheritance/ Contract payment. Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo , Dr. Patrick Aziza, Mr. Tunde Lemo , Mr. Ernest Obi, in collaboration with Central Bank of Nigeria , Zenith Bank, Oceanic bank , First Bank, and Western Union. Billions of dollars was recovered from their accounts.
 
The New Central Bank Governor, Dr. Lamido Sanusi, has approved your payment of $10.5M (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand, United States Dollars) via their ATM CARD payment system. The ATM CARD is designed to work on any Automated Teller Machine around the Globe. On no account must you send your banking details to any person or office, no matter the circumstance.
 
Confirm the following datas immediately - Your Names - Direct telephone Numbers - occupation - Your Delivery address and Any form of identification.
 
We have been assured that your payment will be released to you through the ATM CARD payment system which has been approved by the acting President, Goodluck Jonathan. make sure you confirm the required informations to the processing and legal office via the informations you find listed below..
 
Heads of Processing : Mrs. Clairie Bells
Contact addresss : atmcardprocesag1@sify.com
Contact Phone : 23470-3086-6730
 
Mr. Thompson Blair
HEAD OF INVESTIGATIONS
FEDERAL BUREAU OF
INVESTIGATION WASHINGTON DC

Anti-fraud resources: