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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: Ibrahim Usman <ibrahimusman112@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ibrahimusman121@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:07:37 +0100
Subject: Hello


Hello,


I hope this will not constitute a sort of embarrassment to you, first I must
solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of its
nature, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. I
have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction, as I
wish to rely on your discreteness in transaction of this nature. Let me
start by introducing my self properly to you; my name is Ibrahim Usman, I'm
the Regional Auditor of the Intercontinental Bank of Ghana, Kumasi branch in
the
Ashanti region of Ghana.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us. As a
Auditor in Amalgamated Bank Kumasi branch; it is my duty to send in a
financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end of
each year. On the course of last year 2010 end of year report, I discovered
an excess profit of Thirteen million five hundred and fifty thousand dollars
[US$13,550,000.00] which my head office are not aware of and will never be
aware. I have since then place this fund in a suspense escrow account
without any beneficiary.

As an officer in the bank, I can not be connected directly to this money,
this is why I’m contacting you so that you can assist and receive this money
into your bank account for us to share and also invest in your country.

It will be bank to bank transfer; all I need from you is to stand as the
original depositor of this fund with our Kumasi Branch so that my Head
office can order the transfer to your designated bank account.


If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response and do not
take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed on you, I assure you we
can achieve it successfully.



Best regards,

Ibrahim Usman

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