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: "JOHN KOLA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnkola_10@yahoo.cn>
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2010 10:43:08 +0100
Subject: URGENT

AFRICAN DEVELOPEMENT BANK
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
TELEX / COMPUTER DEPARTMENT
ADEOLA ODEKU
LAGOS - NIGERIA
CABLE: ADB NG


DEAR SIR,

MY NAME IS JOHN KOLA OF THE TELEX / COMPUTER DEPARTMENT OF THE AFRICAN
DEVELOPEMENT BANK NIGERIA. I AM SENDING THIS PRIVATE FAX BASED ON THE
CONFIDENTIAL NATURE OF THE TRANSACTION. PLEASE I WILL LIKE TO ADVISE THAT IF
AFTER GOING THROUGH MY SUBMISSION AND YOU DO NOT ACCEPT IT, KINDLY KEEP IT TO
YOURSELF.

I AM STILL IN SERVICE WITH THE AFRICAN DEVELOPEMENT BANK (ADB) AND I WOULD NOT
LIKE TO LOSE MY JOB. AS I FOUND OUT THAT YOU ALMOST MET ALL THE STATUTORY
REQUIREMENTS OF THE CBN IN RESPECT OF YOUR CONTRACT PAYMENT. YOUR PROBLEM IS
THAT OF INTEREST GROUPS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR PAYMENT AND
THOSE PEOPLE ARE MERELY DOING PAPER WORK WITH YOU AND THAT EXPLAINS WHY YOU
RECEIVE EMAIL AND PHONE MESSAGES FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN NIGERIA EVERYDAY.

THEIR WHOLE GAME PLAN IS TO FRUSTRATE YOU INORDER FOR YOU TO ABANDON THE
CONTRACT PAYMENT AND THEN THEY WILL BE COMFORTABLE AND FREE ENOUGH TO TRANSFER
THE CONTRACT FUNDS INTO THEIR OVERSEAS ACCOUNT. HENCE, YOU HAVE LOST TRUST ON
WHOM TO BELIEVE TO BE GENUINE.

TO SUM IT UP, I WISH TO ASSURE YOU THAT WITH MY POSITION HERE IN THE TELEX
DEPARTMENT I CAN PUNCH THE COMPUTER AND CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT STRAIGHT WITHIN FIVE

(5) WORKING DAYS. FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WILL GIVE
ME AT THE CONSUMMATION OF THIS DEAL.

FINALLY, YOU WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT TO KEEP THIS TRANSACTION STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL,

IF YOU ACCEPT MY SUBMISSION, KINDLY GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY

EVEN IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT MY OFFER, I WILL SINCERELY ADVISE YOU TO FIND TIME
YOURSELF TO COME AND REGULARIZE YOUR DEFECTIVE DOCUMENTS INSTEAD OF FRUITLESS
EXCHANGE OF FAX MESSAGES WITH OFFICES HERE.

WHEN REPLYING THIS EMAIL, PLEASE RE-CONFIRM YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE NUMBERS, AND
EMAIL ADDRESS.

REGARDS.
JOHN KOLA


Anti-fraud resources: