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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: "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS \(F.B.I\)" <mr.steven_long@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: fb-agen-brian@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:16:15 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: READ AND GET BACK TO THIS OFFICE FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT (F.B.I),


FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS (F.B.I)
CRIMES MONITORY DIVISION
Anti Money Laundry Department
FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
====================================
FBI NOTIFICATION:Our Ref: FR/938/FBI.USA
====================================
Greeting,
 
Inline with the "Patriot Act", a statute enacted by the United States Government that President George W. Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001. The Act which increases the ability of Law Enforcement Agencies to search telephones, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eases restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expands the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; has prompted us to contact you in respect of your unclaimed fund.
 
We the Anti Money Laundry Department of the Federal Bureau of Investigations do hereby inform you
that in our bid to fight against the ranging terrorist threat facing the United States of America recently, we have registered your unclaimed fund through a Certified Bank Draft with the UNIVERSAL COURIER  SERVICE (U.C.S) in the country of fund origin.
 
This fund was said to have been held by the Central Bank of Ghana due to your inability to obtain necessary documents and delivery charges required by the Bank and its affiliates in the past. Thus, we sourced that some unscrupulous agents of the terrorist inclined nations have devoted their time using the opportunity to transfer funds into the USA under the disguise that the fund was meant for you the beneficiaries. However, after our investigations, we discovered that you had no involvement in such plan, that is why we are contacting you to get the fund out of its position before it implicates you.
 
>From our investigations, we also gathered that some impostors have ripped several individuals of their money in their bit to claim their fund, but with this measure, you have little or nothing to worry about, just follow our instructions,and you will be glad you did.
 
Note that all the necessary arrangements for the delivery of your Bank Draft have been completed. In your best interest which you are urged to send the following details to the Economic Financial Crimes Committee;
 
*Full Name:
*Delivery Address:
*Current Phone Number:
*Next of Kin:
 
In our effort to mitigate scam, the only money you have to pay to them is $180 (ONLY) for their Security keeping of your Bank Draft, the IMF insisted that such cost can only be paid once the real beneficiary have contacted the Economic Financial Crimes Committee, this is for security reason.  You are hereby instructed to contact the Operations Manager with the information below, and call Him immediately you send him an email:
 
Name: Mr. Owusu Humphrey,
Email: mrowusuhumphrey@gmail.com
Cell Phone Number:+233-272-416-092
 
Apparently, several individuals who received this email in the past questioned the legitimacy of its content, but a trial was able to convince them that the Anti Money Laundry Department of the FBI through the help of Internet Crime Control Center (I.C.C.C) is working tirelessly to stop illegal fund transfer into the United States and it environ.

Thank you as we look forward to your cooperation on this very crucial matter.
 
NB: IF YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH OR YOU HAVE DEALT WITH ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION AS REGARDS YOUR FUND CLAIMS, YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEIZE FURTHER CONTACTS WITH THE BEARER AND FORWARD THE PERSON'S DETAIL TO US DIRECTLY FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS!!!
 
Regards,
Special Agent Brian D. Lamkin’s,
(Secretary)
Office of the Director:
FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C. 20535-000

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