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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: "ECOWAS/2012" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr.edwintaylor@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 20:52:46 +0300
Subject: ABORT ALL ONLINE TRANSACTION NOW!!!

Dear Beneficiary,

FINAL RELEASE OF YOUR FUND

Good day to you, I hope this E-mail meets you in perfect health.

After several complain from foreign contact part of been scammed by Internet Fraudster from West Africa Countries. I President Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan, President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chairman for the Economy Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in conjunction with The United Nation Anti-crime commission in a meeting with other West African's President including, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Republic of Benin in other to compensate two hundred (200) scammed victim around the globe with the sum of $6.3 Million USD each from ECOWAS reserve purse and from the Money recovered from these scam artists.

After Proper Internet Investigation (PII) is carried out through West African Countries, your email address was found in one of the scam Artists file and in a computer hard disk in our custody here in Nigeria. You are therefore being compensated with $6.3 Million Dollars.

You are therefore advice to provide the following information below.

(1) Full Name: ..................
(2) Resident Address: .......
(3) Sex: ...........................
(4) Age: ...........................
(5) Marital Status: ........
(6) Occupation: ................
(7) Present Country: .........
(8) Direct Tel/Mobile Number: ......
(9) Scan Copy of your Identity Card/Driving License

You are to make the above information available to Ecowas Foreign Remittance Department with the details below:

Contact Name: Mr. Edwin Taylor (Processing Officer)
Email Address: mr.edwintaylor@yahoo.cn

As soon as the above information is made available the release of your Fund will be affected immediately.

You are therefore advice to stop any transaction and communication you have with any Office or Bank claiming they are with your Fund also you are to forward any E-mail you receive henceforth from any office for verification because of impostor and internet fraud and for security reason we present to you our CODE of conduct which is (ECOWAS/UN/2011). You are to use it as your subject when ever you are mailing the Foreign Affair Department Office.

NOTE: If you know you have not been scammed by Internet Fraudster from West Africa Country, please ignore and don't reply this E-mail delete it immediately.

Regards,

Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan
ECOWAS CHAIRMAN.

Anti-fraud resources: