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: "United Nation Compensation Unit" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrvictor79@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 13:16:37 +0200
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT IS APPROVED ( READ DETAILS THEREIN ) Person to Contact: Mr. Victor Stafford

UNITED NATIONS/ WORLD BANK COMPENSATION UNIT
 
 
Attention: Beneficiary
 
 
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and family?, you may not understand why this mail came to you. We have been having a meeting for the passed 7 months which ended 2days ago with the then secretary to the UNITED NATION. This email is to all the people that have been scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS IN Affiliation with WORLD BANK have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$ 500,000.00.
 
 
This includes every foreign contractors that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems etc. We found your name in our list and that is why we are contacting you, this has been agreed upon and has been signed.
 
 
You are advised to contact Mr. Victor Stafford of our paying center in Africa, as he is our representative in Nigeria, contact him immediately for your Cheque/ International Bank Draft of USD$500,000.00. These funds are in a Bank Draft for security purpose? So he will send it to you and you can clear it in any bank of your choice. Therefore, you should send him your full Name and telephone number your correct mailing address where you want him to send the Draft to you.
 
Have in mind that Mr. Jim Ovia is no longer our representative, who if are you dealing with him that is on your own risk and we shall not help responsible for any miss appropriate of your funds. The new office to contact is Mr. Victor Stafford.
 
 
Person to Contact: Mr. Victor Stafford
Email: mrvictor79@gmail.com
Phone: +234-705-3226-107
 
 
Thanks and God bless you and your family. Hoping to hear from you as soon as you cash your Bank Draft. Making the world a better place.
Regards,
 
 
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
 
NB: DEALING WITH MR. JIM OVIA IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Anti-fraud resources: