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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: WAECA <ecowas.consultantdesk@revenue.com>
Reply-To: ecowasconsultantdesk@revenue.com
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 05:57:16 -0800 (PST)
Subject: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES


































Wellcome to :
(Waeca) West Africa Ex-change Control Authority/Ecowas Payment Office. our motto
is: Efficiency, Honesty and Transparency 

 

ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
OF WEST AFRICAN STATES


Comunaute Economique Des Etats De
L’ Afrique De L’ Quest


WEST AFRICA EXCHANGE CONTROL
AUTHORITY.

Ecowas Payment office


OSU, Porto-novo – Benin
republic

Tel: +229-96846008

Email; ecowasconsultantdesk@revenue.com



   
                 
Our Ref…..ECO/EPO/04/2010/ECOWAS                                                         
 
Attention:
Beneficiary,
 

 This is to
officially inform you that your payment file was brought to my desk today our
time after last meeting convened with banking institutions and the government
agencies within the west Africa Region regarding the smooth and successful
transfer of beneficiaries over due and unclaimed payment owned by banks and
government agencies here in Republic of Benin and within the West Africa
country.
 
 It is base on this development that my office (WAECA) West
African Ex-Change Control Authority has been assigned and mandated to take
charge of all unclaimed payment like yours here in Republic of Benin to ensure a
successful transfer of beneficiaries funds into their designated bank account
without any legal encumbrance hence banks have failed their foreign clients.

   
As a matter of urgency,  I have gone through your payment data and
discovered that the funds fully belongs to you and as a result of that we have
decided to process the payment on your behalf to ensure justice, transparency
and honesty because we want to maintain the image of this great office that is
in charge of monitoring all local and international funds transaction/movement
within West Africa Region.
 
We therefore advice you to reconfirm your
details, and as well send us the processing fee $76  to enable us obtain your
affidavit of ownership certificate and work on your $500,000.00usd bank draft
for your remittance. Below is the payment information

Receiver: Chukwuma
Chidi Samuel
Country: Benin
Republic
City: Cotonou
Text: Year
Answer: 2011
Amount:$76
MTCN:::::::
Sender
Name:::::
 
At the moment regarding the position of your transaction, you
are advice to get in touch with me for confirmation of this message without
delays as soon as you receive this mail.
 
We are waiting for your
urgent response.

Regards,
Mr.Tanko Cuba.
Director: WAECA: West
Africa Ex-Change Control Authority.
Ecowas   Payment Office Republic of
Benin







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