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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: "ROBERT MUELLER III" <fbi.org@host10.oneononeinternet.com>
Reply-To: fbiinvestigationdepartmentunit10@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 05:51:59 -0400
Subject: FBI SEEKING TO WIRETAP THE INTERNET

ROBERT MUELLER III
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FBI
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION WASHINGTON DC.
FBI SEEKING TO WIRETAP THE INTERNET

Good Day,

How are you and your entire family, We The Federal bureau of investigation
(FBI) Washington,D.C in conjunction with some other relevant Investigations
Agencies here in the United states of America have recently been informed
through our Global intelligence monitoring network that you presently have a
transaction going on with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as regard to your
over-due contract payment which was fully endorsed in your favor accordingly.

For security reasons it is against our protocol of operation to release our
security numbers to clients, we the F.B.I have purposely created.

It might interest you to know that we have taken out time in screening through
this project as stipulated on our protocol of operation and have finally
confirmed that your contract payment is 100% genuine and free from all facet
and of which you have the lawful right to claim your fund without any further
delay.

Having said all this, we will further advise that you go ahead in dealing with
the Central Bank office accordingly as we will be monitoring all their
services with you as well as your correspondence at all level.

In addition, also be informed that we recently had a meeting with the
Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the person of DR LAMIDO
SANUSI along with some of the top officials of the ministry regarding your
case and they made us to understand that your file has been held in abase
depending on when you personally come for the claim.

They also told us that the only problem they are facing right now is that some
unscrupulous element are using this project as an avenue to scam innocent
people off their hard earned money by impersonating the Executive Governor and
the Central Bank office.

I will use this opportunity to WARN you against some hoodlums who are
impersonating my office and other government agencies for the purpose of
extorting money from innocent CITIZENS like you.

Be very vigilant and always forward to my office, any messages sent to you
before replying to them so that we can confirm if its genuine or not.

We are poised to taking this precaution so as make sure you don't fall victim
to those miscreants who are claiming to be who they are not.

We were also made to understand that a Man with name (Mrs. JOAN C. BAILEY from
TEXAS) has already contacted them and also presented to them all the necessary
documentations evidencing your claim purported to have been signed personally
by you prior to the release of your contract fund valued at about
US$12,500,000.00 (twelve million five hundred thousand united states
dollars),but the Central Bank office did the wise thing by insisting on
hearing from you personally before they go ahead on wiring your fund to the
Bank information which was forwarded to them by the above named Lady so that
the main reason why they contacted us so as to assist them in making the
investigations.

We recently had a meeting with the Executive Governor, Central Bank office
prior to your case and they presented to us the real official contact
information of the genuine Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of which we have
enclosed below for your observation and reference.

EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR: DR LAMIDO SANUSI
OFFICE ADDRESS: Central Bank of Nigeria,
Central Business District,
Cadastral Zone,
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory,
Nigeria.

Email:sanusilamido14@hotmail.com

NOTE:

In your best interest, any message that doesn't come from the above official
email address should not be replied to and should be disregarded accordingly
for security reasons.

The reason is because we received a fax today from the Central Bank office,
stating that they have recently been informed through their underground
monitoring unit that some hoodlums are contacting you claiming to be from the
central bank of Nigeria, just to collect money from you for no just course.

Although, We have started our investigation on how to get this hoodlums and
as well bring them to book and note that any information you send to us, will
go along way in helping us track this fraudsters down.

To this effect, we will like you to forward to us any of their contact
information so as to enable us forward copy to all the relevant security
agencies.

Ensure you follow all their procedure as may be required by them as that will
further help hasten up the whole process as regard to the urgent release of
your fund to you as instructed.

Also have in mind that the Central Bank of Nigeria equally have their own
protocol of operation as stipulated on their banking terms, so delay could be
very dangerous.

Once again, we will advise that you contact them with the above email address
and make sure you forward to them all the necessary information which they may
require from you prior to the release of your fund to you accordingly.

Once again, we will advise that you contact the Central Bank office only with
the above information as soon as you can because they have already started
sorting our contract payments to serious clients and your case should not be
exempted.

This is all I can tell you for now until you have contacted them as directed.

Should in case you need any more information in regard to this notification,
feel free to get back to us so that we can brief you more as we are here to
guide you during and after this project has been completely perfected and you
have received your contract fund as stated.

Have a blessed day !

Best Regards,
Robert S. Mueller III
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001, USA

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