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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: "PRESIDENCY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <urbandevelopment@w.cn>
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 08:30:35 -0700
Subject: ON YOUR FUND'S RELEASE

DEAR SIR,
I AM AN AMERICAN/ATTORNEY ATTACHED WITH THE APEX BANK OF LONDON (THAT IS THE CENTRAL BANK HERE/BANK OF ENGLAND) FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS AS AN ACCREDITED ATTORNEY WITH THE BANK  AND DO LIVE HERE IN ENGLAND WITH MY FAMILY.
I HAVE STUDIED THE CO-ORDINATES OF YOUR PAYMENT PROCESS THROUGH THE MONITORING UNIT OF MY PRIVATE CHAMBER HERE IN THIS COUNTRY AND DID JUST FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING FUND TO BE TRANSFERED INTO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY, BUT THE CORRUPTION HERE WILL NOT ALLOW THE OFFICIALS TO ACTUALLY EFFECT THE TRANSFER OF YOUR LONG OVER-DUE FUND INTO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT.THERE IS THIS RACKET IN LONDON BEING HEADED MOSTLY BY FOREIGNERS HERE NOW, WHERE GROUP OF PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AND PUT UP A MAKE BELIEF BANK TO DEFRAUD INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS, BENEFICIARIES AND CONTRACTORS IN THE BRITISH BANKS.THIS WAS FOUND OUT LATELY, WHERE THE PAYMENT RELEASE ORDER FROM THE UNION BANK LONDON TO STANDARD BANK PLC LONDON, WAS SWITCHED BY THIS FRAUDULENT GROUP AND CHANGED THE COPY TO STANDARD ASSURANCE BANK UK, INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL STANDARD BANK PLC AND DIVERTED THE COPY OF THE PAYMENT ADVISE MEANT FOR STANDARD BANK PLC LONDON.THEY DO TELL INTERNATIONAL BENEFICIARIES A LOT OF STORIES TO TRANSFER MO
PLEASE THE INFORMATION I AM ABOUT TO GIVE TO YOU SHOULD NOT BE REVEALED TO ANYBODY HERE OR IN THIS BANK, AS IT MIGHT JEOPARDISE MY POSITION AS AN ACCREDITED ATTORNEY ATTACHED WITH THIS BANK (APEX BANK), AS MY CONSCIENCE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO SIT AND SEE THIS HAPPEN TO MY FELLOW HUMAN BEING THAT DO NOT DESERVE IT. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, ALL THE MONEY YOU HAVE BEEN SPENDING, ARE BEING USED BY THIS FAKE OFFICIALS TO WORK AGAINST YOU AND PEPERTRATE THERE SELFISH PLANS AND NOW THEY ARE PLANNING ON HOW TO DIVERT YOUR FUND INTO ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THERE CHOICE AND SHARE IT AMONGST THEMSELVES. I  WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO NOW TO AVERT THERE SELFISH PLANS AND RECEIVE YOUR FUND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEM.PLEASE I AM TELLING YOU THIS NOT TO GET OR GAIN ANYTHING FROM YOU.
THE ORIGINALL PAYMENT ADVISE IN YOUR NAME, WAS MEANT TO BE SENT TO THE ACTUAL CONCERNED BANK HERE IN UK VIA THE APEX BANK HERE WHERE I WORK AS THEIR ACCREDITED ATTORNEY FROM THEIR CORRESPONDENT BANK IN AFRICA FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW AND YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO BE DIRECTED BY THE BANK HERE TO CONTACT THEM FOR YOUR PAYMENT, BUT THEY DID NOT, NOT ACTUALLY THAT THEY DID NOT, BUT THIS FRAUDULENT GROUP IN COLLABORATION WITH THEIR FOREIGN COUNTERPARTS CHANGED THE INFORMATION AND RELEASED A WRONG ONE.
FOR YOUR URGENT PAYMENT YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THE CONCERNED BANK HERE IN UK FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT.THEY DO HAVE THE PAYMENT ADVISE IN YOUR FAVOUR FOR SOME TIME NOW AND DO NOT LET THEM KNOW WHY YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THEM ALL THIS WHILE OR THAT I DID LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS,PLEASE JUST FOR ME,MY JOB AND MY FAMILY.JUST AN ADVISE AND PLEASE DO NOT PUT ME INTO TROUBLE, AS I AM TRYING JUST TO HELP YOU NOT FOR ANYTHING GAIN BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE.
 
 
PLEASE DO NOT LET ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT WHAT I REVEALED TO YOU EVEN YOUR PARTNERS UNTIL YOU GET YOUR FUND TRANSFERED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR FUND AND THE SECURITY OF MY JOB.
AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU, I WILL FURNISH YOU WITH THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE CONCERNED BANK HERE THAT IS IN CHARGE OF YOUR PAYMENT FOR YOUR SWIFT PAYMENT.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
ROBERT GEORGE STRAUSS ESQ.

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