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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: "Washington, D.C" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fbi_officeweo.gov119@gawab.com>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 04:33:28 -0700
Subject: FBI Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FBI Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation J.Edgar Hoover Building 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
Website: WWW.FBI.org
 
 
Attention: Funds Beneficiary,
                                          
 
This is an official advise from the FBI regarding to the release of your over due contract in heritance payment of $10.5 million United States dollars, and we wish to bring to your notice that this office has taking over all the money transfer originated from any part of America, African and European countries due to unauthorized/ incapability of financial institutions/security companies in releasing such huge sum of money.
 
 
This email is to all foreign contractors that may have not received his or her contract sum, or people that have had an unfinished transaction, people who have inheritance to claim or international businesses that failed due to instability of government in some part of America etc.
 
 
You are in contact with the FBI because we found your name in our list as one of the unpaid beneficiary. As a matter of fact, your funds valued $10.5 million are presently deposited in a private account with the Bank of America here in the United States under our custody, and will be released to you once all the legal documents are completed.
 
 
After series of investigations, we discovered that the said fund valued $10.5 million United States dollars originated from the Central Bank of Nigeria as your contract inheritance payment, and due to the level of fraud/ terrorists activities going on world wide, you are to obtain the Fund Ownership Certificate from the fund originated country (Nigeria), and you have just only 72 hours to obtain the needed certificate.
 
 
For security reasons, you have been advised to urgently reconfirm your personal information’s to this office as requested below.
 
 
Full Name--------------------------
Address----------------------------
Occupation-------------------------
Age/Sex----------------------------
Direct Cell Phone/ Home Tel--------
A Copy of Your I.D-----------------
 
 
Note: You will be charged for money laundering and terrorist activities if you fail to obtain the Fund Ownership Certificate within 72 hours as instructed, therefore you have been advised to quickly get back to us immediately, so that we can direct you on how to obtain the above mention document from the funds originated country.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
 
Mr. Robert S. Mueller, III
Director Federal Bureau of Investigation
 
 
CC: Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
CC: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
CC: International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
CC: International Banking Security Association (IBSA)
CC: NIGERIA POLICE FORCE (NPF)
 

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