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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: "Young" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <y_arthur@ymail.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 10:26:44 -0700
Subject: Your Information,

Your Information,
With due respect,
Please we need an emergency reply to this email because of the urgency required. I am the zonal coordinator of the ongoing reconciliation on foreign outstanding settlement in this Arab Region managing the Dubai center vault for direct payment.Your allocation which is pending from the African bank without accomplishing the mission as awarded you which was necessitated because of the mis-handling of the agent sent to your zone by giving you wrong directives and unnecessary request financially, your consignment allocation was recalled so that we can agree with you on an atmosphere to settle you satisfactorily to suit and favor all parties involve.
In this regard, I wish to notify you about this allocation for your  debt settlement of $5,500,000.00, just returned back unsettle. The concern of contacting you today is because of an emergency and suspected application which was just filed to us in writing, by a person claiming to be your representative, Mr. Alfred Smith of United Kingdom . The application was backed by a Power of Attorney, and this power of attorney supposedly to have come from you, and it was indicated that due to an automobile accident which you had yesterday that almost claim your life, such have made you to delegate him make application for you, MR. SMITH has requested in writing to change your particulars and details as the beneficiary for receiving the approved of this award payment in favor to new CITI BANK OF NEW YORK, ACCOUNT NO: 652 007123 at (111 WALL STREET). He also initiated a move to replace previous information as the beneficiary with IMPROMUNDI UK LTD, your affiliate company and nominated new legitimate beneficiary b
We require a final confirmation of facts from you to avoid wrongful payment or diversion of allocation to wrong beneficiary. We are taking our time in following this supposedly in this prize settlement. Therefore get back as soon as you receive this information. Having made these clarifications, do confirm if you provided MR. Smith with the details about this your transaction.Also, subsequently equipped him with this said Power of Attorney to change the information as informed. Because, since our delegated agent that visited your country could not successfully work out the delivery with you, we have linked our paying bank here for this settlement, otherwise you have to be present in our vault in Dubai here for direct settlement.
I am expecting you to revert back or call as soon as you have received this information. Give me a number to talk to you. Respond to this e-mail on (y_arthur@ymail.com) with immediate effect and we shall give you further details on how your fund will be released
Yours faithfully,
Dr Arthur A. Young.
 

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