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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: "Central Bank Of Nigeria" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <frdept.cbn.gov.ng@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:14:01 -0800
Subject: Payment Notification.

FROM THE DESK OF MR LAMIDO SANUSI
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
OUR REF: CBN/OHG/OXD1/2010
YOUR REF:.................
TELEX: CENBANK.
 
PAYMENT FILE: CBN/BEN/010
CONTRACT/LOTTERY PAYMENT NOTIFICATION.
 
Attn: Beneficiary,
I am Mr. Sanusi L. A. Sanusi The executive governor central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) and in our records of outstanding contractors/lottery winners due for payment with the federal government of Nigeria have it that your name is next on the list of the outstanding contractors/lottery winners who have not received their payments.
 
I want you to know that your payment is valid and maintained by our issuing bank in London. I have ensured that you receive your fund through an International certified bank draft, Online Account Bank Transfer or ATM Debit Card acceptable and payable to you only.
 
I can not vividly explain how this payment was generated / occurred to you, but I was informed before I resumed my humble office in the month of May 2009 that a contract with the federal government was executed by a foreign contractor, who at the point of execution did not receive his payments. Coupled with the fact that the computer departments of the central bank was burnt down some months ago before I resumed this humble office, and all available information as regards your information that was dropped by the foreign contractor was missing as well.
 
I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed and will be released to you as soon as you respond to this letter. Also note that from my record in my file your outstanding contract/lottery payment with its accrued interest is $18,000,000 million dollars (eighteen million united states dollars).
 
Please re-confirm to me if this is inline with what you have in your record and also re-confirm to me the followings
 
1) Your full name.
2) Phone, fax and mobile #.
3) Company name, position and address.
4) Profession, age and marital status.
 
As soon as this information is received, our issuing bank will make your payment to you.
 
I will be waiting for your response with the requested information so that the issuing bank will commence the payment process.
Yours sincerely,
MR LAMIDO AMINU SANUSI.
CBN Governor
DISCLAIMER:
The message and its attachments are for designated recipient(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary and private information. If you have received it in error, kindly delete it and notify the sender immediately. Central Bank of Nigeria accepts no liability for any loss or damage resulting directly and indirectly from the transmission of this e-mail message.

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