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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: "World Bank/IMF Auditors (African Desk)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <debt_reconciliation@superposta.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 05:32:41 -0700
Subject: Re: Notification Of Approved Payment Fund

WORLD BANK/IMF G20 SUMMIT
"Debts Payment Bureau"
1st Floor, 109 Awolowo Road,
Ikoyi- Lagos, Nigeria
TTel: 234 709 0901707
TFax: 234-1-8759890
Attn: Dear Beneficiary
Re: NOTIFICATION OF YOUR (US$4,200 000.00) APPROVED PAYMENT FUND
Consequent to the G20 Summit resolution with African Union leaders to alleviate poverty in their region and to avert future re-occurrence of the 2008 Global Economic Financial Melt Down. The world Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) has jointly risen up to bail-out some African countries of their financial debt crisis consequent to debts owed to their foreign contractors and inheritance payment entitlement in accordance with the bilateral treaty reached with the African Union leaders in the recently concluded, WORLD BANK, IMF, AFRICAN UNION LEADERS G20 SUMMIT held at Washington, United States of America.
 
A total sum of ($4.5 Billion u.s dollars) has been mapped out by the African Union leaders for payment of outstanding foreign debts owed to Contractors and next of kin in their region. It has therefore become imperative for every country to explore options for reducing their debt servicing policy to affordable and sustainable levels to avert re-occurrence of the 2008 Global Economic Financial Melt Down, which was the quest of African Union to embark on this debt reconciliation and image laundering exercise toward uplifting the battered image of African region tarnished by some avaricious Government directors and other Scam artist.
I am Mr John Howell, World Bank delegate. I was mandated to take up the assignment of paying every executed Contracts and inheritance payments to their beneficiary, consequent to the ineptitude and inability of the Central Bank Governors and some directors working in their banking sector to release and transfer payment to their designated beneficiary.
 
My office has taken up the mantle to investigate, verify and settle all outstanding debts owed to such beneficiary whose Inheritance or Contract payment is overdue for payment. However during the last democratic regime of Nigeria former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a lot of abnormalities and irregularities happened in their banking sector where some top officials of their Central Bank and other directors in their Commercial Banks collaborate with impostors to frustrate foreign contractors and next of kin to abandoned their payments half way as a result of un-ending demands of Fees and Taxes by these avaricious directors for their selfish interest.
Consequently, I received a directive from World Bank President, Robert Zoellick who mandated me to use my esteemed Veto Office to settle all genuine executed Contracts and Inheritance claim payment debts that has been outstanding for a long time here in the African region.
Therefore, I am glad to inform you that we have approved a Part-payment sum of Four million, two hundred thousand u.s. dollars (US$4,200 000:00) for you, from your executed Contract inheritance debt owing to you and your company over the years by the past government.
 
I want to inform you that the problem you were having from receiving your payment fund in the past years was from your partners and the lawyer who was representing you, they don't have any tangible reason for the delay of the transfer of your approved payment.
 
Henceforth, stop every payment of fees or charges to any Bank here, or to any of their correspondence Bank abroad. Also stop every communication of any such, to Any Person, Any Office, Any Bank, Or Securities companies in respect of the release of your payment because they will keep-on asking you to pay for this or that.  I have taken up the mantle to protect your interest and I will use my elevated veto position to release your over delayed payment fund to you.
Considering the circumstances at hand, you are advised not to accept any E-mail, Fax or Telephone calls that does not come from my Office. The consequences of not heeding to this warning or advice would be yours.
Finally, on behalf of the the WORLD BANK, IMF, and AFRICAN UNION, We hereby plead for your total forgiveness over the delay in transferring your inheritance contract fund. The AFRICAN UNION shall continue to uphold and maintain the good bilateral diplomatic relationship that co-exists between Africa and your country.
 
Please call me directly on Mobile: 234-802-7210788, Or reply me immediately after your perusals of this letter to enable me arrange the transfer of your payment fund to any of your nominated receiving Bank account via our accredited paying Bank in London.
 
Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.
 
Yours faithfully,
Mr John Howell (Director)
Mobile: 234-802-7210788
Mobile: 234-709-0901707
 

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