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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: legal dept <legaldept9@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:18:26 +0100
Subject: CONFIRM WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT VALUED AT $14.6 MILLION

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS ABUJA
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
LEGAL DEPARTMENT[AUTONOMOUS UNIT]


Our Ref:Cbn/led/B/Vol181/01
Your Ref:.........................

Attn;Beneficiary,

URGENT MESSAGE


we have the mandate of the dept reconciliation panel,and the Senate
Committee on foreign contract review,to investigate issues affecting
the smooth transfer of all outstanding contract payment.

This was as a result of frequent reports reaching the Governor of this
Apex Bank on cases of fraudulent practices involving government
officials and some foreign collaborators to siphon huge sums of money
overseas to the detriment of our great nation.This has resulted to a
lot of negative reports on Central Bank,and thereby given Nigeria a
bad image before the international community.

On the cause of our investigation,we discovered that one barrister
Usman Bello came in company of a man named..Ovie.Benson,filed in an
application attached with the affidavit of "MEANS" for a change of
your bank details/Account nos,which is already programmed in the Telex
Department for Telegraphic Transfer of your payment.

In favour of SALEN DRILLING AG OF AUSTRIA
UNION BANK OF SWITZERLAND
36-38 GRAND RUE,P.O.BOX134
ACCOUNT NO:957165
BENEFICIARY: BJARNI GUNNERS

The said affidavit stated

1. That you have issued authority letter to Mr. Ovie Benson to effect
the change of your company name/bank details to that of the
beneficiary in question.

2.That the original copy of the authority letter was lost at the time
of collection.

3.That your Company has been declared insolvent and bankcrupt.

Sir,it will amount to gross disservice,if we fail to have your consent
before we finally register the affidavit,and forward the report to the
foreign payment section for immediate wire transfer of your pending
payment.

To avoid misdirection of fund,and check fraudulent attempts,we
therefore employ you to reconfirm the authenticity of this sudden
change,by forwarding to this office copy of the authority letter as
stated by Barrister Bello.

We do hope you will treat this matter with utmost dispatch to enable
us serve you better.

Your's Faithfully,
J.C.Williams Esq[SAN]
Director Legal Services, Central Bank Of Nigeria

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