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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: "MR. JOSEPH BELLO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <j_be87@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:20:56 +0100
Subject: FROM CHAIRMAN CONTRACT AWARD & MONITORING COMMITTEE

TRANSACTION LETTER (VERY CONFIDENTIAL)

FROM CHAIRMAN CONTRACT AWARD & MONITORING COMMITTEE

Sir, this letter might come as a surprise to you especially since we
have never met or discuss before, basically the message might sound
strange but it is factual in reality if only you care to know, The
truth is that I should have notified you first through a more
confidential means, (even if it's at least to respect your
integrity) please accept my humble apologies if I Had caught you
unawares, I frankly do not mean any harm in passing my message.

We are members of the Special Committee for Budget and Planning of
the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, This committee is
principally concerned with contract appraisal and the approval of
contract in order of priorities as regards capital projects of the
federal executive government of Nigeria with our positions we have
successfully secured for ourselves the sum of Twenty million five
hundred thousand dollars (us$20.5M) the amount was accumulated from
the over invoice.

Hence together with some of the top officials of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Finance,
We plan to transfer this amount of money twenty million five hundred
thousand dollars (US$20.5M) into an overseas account by awarding a
non existing contract from my ministry (NNPC). To this effect I
decided to contact you and ask for your assistance, what we need
from you sir, is to provide a very vital account in which the fund
will be transferred.

My Colleagues and I have agreed to compensate the owner of the
account used for this transaction with 25% of the total amount
remitted; we shall keep 73% and remaining 2% reserved for taxes and
other miscellaneous expenses. Finally the confidence and trust
reposed on you cannot be over emphasized, Therefore you are to keep
this deal to yourself confidentially because Caliber of personnel's
involved are men in government and cannot effort to loose our
respective reputation to our dear country if jeopardized by you.
Contact me urgently with your private email for our easier
communication.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR JOSEPH BELLO,
CHAIRMAN CONTRACT AWARD & MONITORING COMMITTEE (NNPC)

Anti-fraud resources: