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: "Majlis Daerah Marang" <mdmarang@terengganu.gov.my>
Reply-To: barclaysplc2007@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 15:02:43 +0800
Subject: INSTRUCTION TO CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT

BARCLAYS BANK PLC.
CLAPHAM JUNCTION BRANCH,
7 ST JOHNS HILL,
SW 11 1 TN, LONDON

Attention: Beneficiary,

REF:- INSTRUCTION TO CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE SUM OF (US$27,000,000.00)
This is the second time we are notifying you about this said fund. After
due vetting and evaluation of your Inheritance file which The Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in conjunction with the Ministry Of
Finance Of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Forwarded and contracted us to
see to your immediate payment of the sum of US$27,000,000.00 from their
Offshore Account with us. We were meant to understand from our findings
that you have been going through hard ways by paying alot of charges to see
to the release of your fund (US$27,000,000.00) , which has been delayed.
Which has been the handiwork of some miscreant elements from Nigeria We
advice that you stop further communication with any correspondence from
Nigeria. You don't have to pay any charges to receive your Contract fund
anymore as you have met up with the whole requirements , your
representatives in Nigeria will tell you to still go ahead with them but on
your own risk.

The only thing required from you is to obtain Non-Resident Clearance
Form/Receipt which we are not asking you to pay the fee to us here in United
Kingdom as the Government of Nigeria have paid us for handling/processing of
your payment with other customers.We will help you to see that you obtain
the form so that our bank will effect immediate transfer of your Inheritance
sum (US$27,000,000.00) into your designated bank account. If you follow up
our directives, your fund will reflect in your account within five Bank
working days from the day you obtain this form. Do not go through
anybodyagain but through this Bank if you really want your fund.

Finally, you are advice to forward to this bank your receiving Account.
Where you want this fund to be remitted.

Yours sincerely,
Mr. Frank Brown
Head, Private Banking Section.
Barclays Bank Plc. London

Anti-fraud resources: