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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: "Standard Chartered Bank" (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 03:20:54 +0100
Subject: Payment Notification.

FOREIGN OPERATIONS MANAGER
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
COOPERATE HEAD OFFICE
1 BASING-HALL AVENUE
LONDON-EC2V 5DD.
E-MAIL: GENERALMANAGER@STANDARDCHARTEREDBA-NK.COM
CONTACT PHONE: +44-770-001-7662
 
OUR REF: ON72071-SC-BANK/LONDON
YOUR REF: SCB-UK/UN/02-2011
 
       SIR/MADAM,
 
ACTING ON OUR CAPACITY AS THE INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT BANK TO THE WORLD BANK DEBT MANAGEMENT OFFICE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF WORLD BANK GROUP; THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY NOTIFY YOU THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION ADVICE FROM THE WORLD BANK DEBT MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COLLECTIVELY VIA INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT VOUCHER NUMBER: IMF/FRBWDC/BOA-93WB82UN567-G REQUESTING THE STANDARD CHARTERED BANK MANAGEMENT, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF AMERICA TO DISBURSE YOUR DUE INVESTMENT/INHERITANCE  PAYMENT VALUED AT SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS (US7.5M) IN YOUR FAVOR VIA INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT AND ONLINE TRANSFER SYSTEM.
 
IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ABOVE, YOU HAVE BEEN OPTIONED TO CHOOSE AS STATED ABOVE THE BEST MODALITY SUITABLE TO YOU TO HAVE YOUR APPROVED FUNDS RELEASE. IN THAT REGARD, WE HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITH THIS EXCLUSIVE REFERENCE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (WBG/FRB-NY/9USXX10751/09), VIDE TRANSACTION NO.: WHA/EUR/202 AND TRANSFER ALLOCATION NO.: FRB/X44/701LN/NYC/US, PASSWORD: 339331, PIN CODE: 78569, CERTIFICATE OF MERIT NO: 104, RELEASE CODE NO: 0876; IMMEDIATE SCB TELEX CONFIRMATION NO: -222568; SECRET CODE: XXTN014. HAVING RECEIVED THESE VITAL PAYMENT NUMBERS, YOU ARE INSTANTLY QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE AND CONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT ON/BEFORE THE NEXT SEVEN BANKING DAYS (7) DAYS, AS NECESSARY CLEARANCE HAS BEEN GRANTED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS EXTERNAL AUDITORS TO RELEASE THE FUNDS TO YOU WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
 
IN VIEW OF THIS DIRECTIVE RECEIVED FROM THE WORLD BANK DEBT MANAGEMENT OFFICE, WE HAVE ON OUR OWN PART VERIFIED YOUR PAYMENT FILE AS DIRECTED TO US AND ON THAT NOTE, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SET UP AN ONLINE ACCOUNT IN YOUR NAME AND SAME HAS BEEN CREDITED WITH THE APPROVED SUM AS APPROPRIATED. NOTE THAT ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN PROPERLY SECURED AND WE SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE COPIES OF THE DOCUMENT UPON YOUR REQUEST FOR REFERENCES.
 
THEREFORE, KINDLY COMPLETE THE ATTACHED WIRE TRANSFER FORM AND GET BACK TO US WITH THE SCAN COPY OF THE COMPLETE PAPER WORK FOR FURTHERANCE OF OTHER TRANSFER MODALITY. NOTE: IF YOU CHOOSE TO RELEASE YOUR PAYMENT VIA INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT, YOU OUGHT NOT CONSIDER COMPLETING THE PAYMENT FORM. THE ONLY INFORMATION NEEDFUL TO THAT EFFECT IS YOUR HOME ADDRESS, AT WHICH THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE BANK DRAFT WILL BE DESIGNATE FOR DELIVERY.
 
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
 
MR. WILLIAM BLATTNER.
GENERAL MANGER: OPERATIONS.
FOR: STANDARD CHARTERED BANK.
 
CC: WORLD BANK DEBT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
CC: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
CC: UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION
CC: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS

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