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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. DOUGLAS SEKO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <successdouglass@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 23:06:05 +0100
Subject: Re: An opportunity in my office that will be of immense benefit to both of us.

IMMENSE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AND YOU

Dear Sir,

My name is Mr. Douglas Seko, the Regional Branch Manager, Intercontinental Bank Plc, in the Western Region of Republic Du Benin.

I got your impressive contact during my search for a reliable, trustworthy and Honest person to introduce this transfer project to. I must plead you not to take this letter as one of those hoax mails sent on the internet, and I urge you to put a little attention to it as deserves, although this medium (internet) has been greatly abused, but I choose to reach you through it because it remains the fastest, surest and most secured means of communication.

I have a great project which is going to be of immense benefit to both of us at this end of the year, if carefully and properly handled.

I am writing to solicit your assistance in the noble transfer of US$ 5.200.000.00. I have packaged this project in such a way that there is no risk attached to it. As the branch Manager of this Bank, it is my duty to send financial reports to my head office in the capital city, at every end of each financial year.

Following the release of the last year financial report, (2009), My department discovered that my branch made Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($5,200,000.00); from the transactions accruing to the account of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) ,which the Head Office is not aware of, because the Transaction with IRS was not detected by the audit department from the head office.

I have already separated the said fund ($5.2M) out from the Management Account and lodged it into a Domiciliary Account with no clear and specified Depositor of the Fund.

As the Branch Manager of this bank, I cannot be directly take up the transfer of this fund out of this bank, to avoid raising an eyebrow on me and my office, thus I am contacting you soliciting your sincere assistance to stand as the original and official depositor/beneficiary of this fund, and you will present any secured overseas Bank Account of your choice to transfer this fund out of this Bank.

I have decided that we should share this fund 50/50 % when successfully transferred out to you bank account .

If it is in your keen interest to partner with me to handle this project ,i will advise you to urgently send me the following below information, so as to program your name and other information to our branch computer system as the depositor/beneficiary of the fund.

(1)-Your Full Name and Current Address:
(2)-Your Direct Contact Telephone Number/Mobile Number:
(3)-Your present Occupation
(4) – Your Sex / Marital Status
(5) – Copy of International Passport or Driver’s license, which I will attach to the computer.

Please Mail me the moment you receive this letter with the above listed information, if you are convinced that both of us can handle this project with total sincerity and honesty, so that I will give you a TEXT OF APPLICATION LETTER OF FUND CLAIM, which you must send to our Head Office to our Executive Director.

Be clearly informed with my involvement in this project as the Branch Manager of this Bank, there is no risk attached now or in future.

Thanks for your co-operation in advance.

Yours truly,

Mr. Douglas Seko

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