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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: Union Bank <unionbank19@rocketmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:26:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ATTN: HONORABLE CONTRACTOR/BENEFICIARY.









36 BROAD STREET, MARINA LAGOS,
NIGERIA TELEGRAM: UNION BROAD BRANCH
BIG, STRONG, RELIABLE
OUR REF: UBN/435/xo/026                                                                                      Date 20/07/ 2011.
 
ATTN:  HONORABLE CONTRACTOR

RE: PAYMENT OF ACCRUED INTEREST OF US$5.1M

I am the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and Head of Swift Transfer Unit of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc., Lagos-Nigeria
 
Sometime
ago, in our bank your contract money was brought to our bank from
Nigerian Apex Bank, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (C.B.N) For the period of
time this money was in our bank, it generated an interest of US$ 5.1
Million, which we are about to pay to you via Special Bank Instrument
directly to your account on the instruction from the presidency. As the
Apex Bank is longer in charge of your payment this is due to numerous
petitions against the officials of Central Bank of Nigeria.
 
For
your information and advice, you need to hasten up to pick this Fund
because from time to time the C.B.N auditors do come to our bank to
cross-check our files and our financial update, the earlier you comply
with the demands of the delivery of the fund, the faster the action,
because the CBN officials wants the accrued interest to be paid to them
but we refused, so when they find out that this interest fund is still
in our bank they will want to call back the money to the Federal
Government treasury.
 
What
we need from you now is any form of your identification for example;
your international passport or you’re drivers license, then your
telephone and fax number for easy communication with your mailing
address.
 
As
a matter of fact we don’t have enough time to waste since we have
wasted time in contacting our respective customers, so try and comply
with the entire necessary requirement for remittance.
 
 
Yours Sincerely,
 
 Mr.Chris W.Akoh

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