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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: "Dr. Okogu Bright" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <foriegnoperationdetfmfng@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 23:01:43 -0700
Subject: THE REPORT OF FIVE MEN PANEL

Dr. Okogu Bright
Director of Operation, Federal Ministry of Finance Nigeria
Foreign Operation Department
6 Asokoro Abuja adjacent to British High Commission office
P.O Box [109]
Tel: 234-1-821-7278.
 
THE REPORT OF FIVE MEN PANEL OF INVESTIGATION OF THIS MINISTRY ON WHAT MARRED THE RELEASE OF YOUR CONTRACT BENEFIT OF $5.3 MILLION TO YOU AND THE DECISION TO RELEASE IT TO YOU THROUGH ATM SMART CARD ACCOUNT
 
Following the out come of investigation of five [5] men committee set up by authorities of Federal Ministry of Finance Nigeria to investigate as to ascertain the forces that marred the release of your contract benefit of $5,3Million which was approved for payment since last year, it was discovered through the committee report that a highly placed Government official in this Ministry of Finance in the person of Mr. Tony Igbo is responsible for the none- release of the above mentioned amount to you which was approved for payment at the second quarter of last year by President Umar Musa Yaradua.
 
Mr. Charles Soludo, some Central Bank and officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Nigeria presented one Mr. Bill Carlton of Canada to claim your fund under false pretence as Mr. Carlton appeared as your business associate with the right to claim your fund in the file submitted to this Ministry of Finance which was discovered in Mr. Igbo's office with letters exchanged by these two persons discussing how to execute this criminal plan at your detriment with some Central Bank of Nigeria and Federal Ministry of Finance officials.
 
Following this discovery, Mr. Charles Soludo, has being relieved of his post in this Ministry for abuse of office alongside with the Central Bank officials of Nigeria who are partners in this attempt to perpetrate Scam/Fraud. The five men committee set up to ascertain the forces that marred the release of the $5.3Million to you recommended in their report that to forestall this ugly trend that the approved $5.3Million to you should be released to you through ATM SMART CARD and after the review of the report it was unanimously agreed and endorsed by principal officers of this Ministry that the above stated amount be released to you through an account with the Federal Ministry of Finance Bank [Eco Bank Plc] by issuing an ATM Smart card linked to the account to you to access the $5.3Million bond in the account with the ATM SMART CARD while in your country.
 
As regards to this, a letter was sent to Eco Bank Management yesterday to issue an ATM Smart card and link it to the account where the $5.3Million bond is deposited for you to withdraw the $5.3 Million as its beneficiary with the Smart card as this electronic payment method through ATM SMART CARD will make you to be fully in control of your Funds/Payment to avoid manipulation and reoccurrence of what marred the release of this fund to you since last year. This afternoon, the authorities of this Ministry of Finance received a letter from Eco Bank Management that the ATM SMART CARD has been issued and linked to the account the Ministry of Finance has opened on your Name and directed that it should be linked to and therefore, requested that the cost of activating the ATM SMART CARD to the account it is linked to be made available to the Bank for the immediate activation of it before releasing it to this Ministry for the subsequ ent delivery/mailing of it to you
 
In the light of this, you are hereby, required to make available the cost of activating the ATM SMART CARD immediately with the Delivery address and Direct Phone Number were you would like it to be mailed/delivered to you with a valid Means of Identification incase you cannot come in person and pick it up in this Ministry Of Finance Office here in Nigeria.
 
As we are waiting to receive the activation cost of the card as demanded by Eco Bank Management and the information through which it will be mailed to you, you are hereby, advised not to give out your information to any body who claimed to be Central Bank Staff or Federal Ministry of Finance Staff nor Mr. Tony Igbo demanding for it for the release of this fund to you as if you do so, you are engaging yourself into fraudulent activity which this Ministry nor the Nigeria Government will not be held responsible for.
 
Thanking you for your understanding and anticipated co-operation in anticipation and also remember that the Federal Ministry of Finance has paid for the delivery of your Card to the Address you will have to Re-confirm to us.
 
Dr.Bright Okogu [MON]
Director of Operation, Federal Ministry of Finance Nigeria
Foreign Operation Department

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