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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. Tony Akan" <ecobnk@ecobankgh.com>
Reply-To: tony_akanunit@gmx.com
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:40:47 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Esteemed Compliments,



Mr. Tony Akan
Branch Manager
Eco Bank of Ghana
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana

Esteemed Compliments,

I anticipate that you read this mail quickly and let me know your opinion
or willingness on this classified information that I will release to you.
Firstly, I am a happily married man with 3 kids and therefore I would not
want to jeopardize this opportunity to change my financial status that
will give my family a secured future.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us, as
the Branch Manager of the Eco Bank Of Ghana, It is my duty to send in a
financial report to my Head Office in the capital city Accra-Ghana at the
end of each year. On the course of the last two years report (2008), I
discovered that my Branch in which I am the Manager made a proceed of
$12,850,000.00 (Twelve Million Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars)
which my Head Office are not aware of nor must they know that I am
involved in this transaction.

I have since place this fund on what we call SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without any
beneficiary. As an Officer of the bank I am not directly connected to the
fund, this is why I am contacting you for us to work so that you can
assist in receiving this money into your Bank Account for us to SHARE,
while you will have 35% of the total fund. Note there are practically no
risk involved, it will be bank to bank transfer, all I need from you is to
stand as the Original Depositor of this fund who made the deposit with our
branch so that my Head Office can order the transfer to your designated
Bank Account. If you accept this offer to work with me, I will appreciate
it very much. As soon as I receive your kind response, I will give you
details on how we can achieve it successfully.

Note there are practically no risk involved, it will be bank to bank
transfer, all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor
of this fund who made the deposit with our branch so that my Head office
can order the transfer to your designated bank account. If you accept this
offer to work with me, I will appreciate it very much. As soon as I
receive your kind response, I will give you details on how we can achieve
it successfully.

please reply me on this mail for more details (tony_akanunit1@hotmail.com)

Best Regards
Mr. Tony Akan

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