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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: Muhammad Mumuni <muhammadmumuni1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 03:16:40 -0700
Subject: PERSONAL ATTENTION

*


confidential


My Dear Friend,

It is with my profound dignity that I write you this very important and
highly confidential email. First, I must solicit your strictest
confidentiality in this transaction. This is by virtue of its nature as
being utterly CONFIDENTIAL and "TOP SECRET". Though I know that a
transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried,
considering the fact that we have not met each other before, but I am
assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day.
We have decided to contact you by email due to the urgency of this
transaction.

However, let me start by introducing myself properly to you. I am
Dr.Muhammad Mumuni,The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
seven man Tender Board in charge of Contract Awards and Payment Approvals.
I came to know of you in my search for a reliable and reputable person to
handle a very confidential business transaction which involves the
transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum
CONFIDENCE.

I and my colleagues are Top Officials of the Ghana Government Contract
Review and Award Panel. Our duties include Evaluation, Vetting, Approval
for payment of Contract jobs done for the Defense Ministry.. In order to
commence this business we solicit your assistance to enable us transfer
into your Account the said funds acquired in excess of the over-estimated
contract sum.

The source of this funds is as follows: In the first quarter of 2009, this
committee was mandated to review a contract to the tune of $3 Billion to a
firm for the construction of two new aircraft
carriers bound for the Ghana Navy. During this process, My Committee
realized the Contract was Over estimated by the Contracting Company in
Excess of $500 Million , as against the Exact Amount of $2.5 Billion
that would complete the Project.

After unanimous agreement among ourselves, we approached the President of
the Contracting Company and threatened to revoke the contract from his
Company as a result of that abnormally. We then reached a compromise that,
since the Ghana Government had already approved $3 Billion, we would allow
him continue with the Project, but the
excess $500 Million would be for us.

Our deal ended with the Contracting Company after realizing the Excess
$500 Million, because we could not trust them.

We are now left with the Excess $500 Million in the
account which we intend to disburse amongst ourselves.

By virtue of our positions as civil servants and members of this panel,
we cannot do this by ourselves, as we are prohibited by the Code of
Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/or operating foreign
accounts in our names while still in Government service, making it
impossible for us to acquire the money in our names since then.

I have therefore, been delegated as a matter of trust and urgency by my
colleagues in the panel to look for an overseas partner into whose account
we would transfer the sum. Hence our resolve to contact you on this
matter.
My Colleagues and I have agree if you or your company can act as the
beneficiary of this funds on our behalf, you or your Company will retain
20% of the total amount of($500 Million), while 60%
will be for us (OFFICIALS) and the remaining 20% will be used in
offsetting all debts/expenses and Taxes incurred both local and foreign in
the cause of this transfer.

Needless to say, the trust reposed in you at this junction is enormous..
In return, we demand your complete honesty and trust. You must however
NOTE that this transaction will be strictly based on the following terms
and conditions as we have stated below;

a) Our conviction of your transparent honesty and diligence
b) That you would treat this transaction with utmost secrecy and
confidentiality
c) That you will not ask for more share or try to sit on the funds once it
is in your custody, or any form of blackmail.
d) That upon receipt of the funds you will release the funds as instructed
by us after you have removed your share of 20% from the total amount.
Please, note that this transaction is 100% legal and risk free and we hope
to conclude this transaction Fourteen Bank working days from the date of
receipt of the necessary requirements from you.

We are looking forward to doing business with you and solicit your Total
Confidentiality in this transaction.There is no cause for alarm. I give
you my word that you are completely safe in doing business with us.
Transactions like this have been successfully carried out in the past by
most Government executives.

I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard
this mail. Do not be vindictive and destructive.. If my offer is of no
appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you. Do not
destroy my career because you do not approve of my proposal.


You may not know this but people like us who have made tidy sums out of
comparable situations run the whole Government Affairs. I am not a
criminal and what I do, I do not find against good conscience, this may be
hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of Government dictates that I
make this move. Such opportunities only come ones' way once in a lifetime.
I cannot let this chance pass me by, for once I find myself in total
control of my destiny.

There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth
undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is
from you refusing to work with us and alerting my Government. Good fortune
has planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Let share the
blessings.

Very importantly, I do not want you contacting me through my official
phone lines nor do i want you contacting me through my official email
account. Contact me only through the numbers I will provide for you. My
official lines are not secure lines as they are periodically monitored to
assess our level of Intergovernmental Parasitical relations in line with our
Total Government Administrative Policy.

Please observe this instruction religiously. Please, again, note I am a
family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a
measure of fear as to what the consequences, but I know within me that
nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come
easy or on a platter of gold.

This is the one truth I have learnt overtime. Do not betray my confidence.
If we can be of one accord, kindly respond through this Email address with
your Mobile Number for Voice Discussion, and i will avail you the next step
in my subsequent email.

Thank you and God Bless.

Yours Faithfully,
Dr.Muhammad Mumuni.

*

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