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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: "Stanley Lawson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lawson0001@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 13:45:15 -0700
Subject: ... ** Fund Parcel Delivery (Inbox


Attention: Good Friend,


APEX BANK IN CONJUNCTION WITH STATE INHERITANCE COMMITTEE
THIS MUST BE TREATED VERY URGENT / CONFIDENTIAL.


we have been currently informed, alongside the scanned copy of an I.D card to the police officer in-charge of this issue at hand, which some individuals claimed you are no longer the rightful beneficiary, and that is why nobody has heard from you till date, but said you have instructed them to claim your fund and make it via bank-to-bank wire transfer to their bank account below.

Bank Name: BANK OF AMERICA
Bank Address: 2075 S. Victoria Ave Ventura, CA 93003
Bank Phone Number: 800 788-7000
Account Name: Mr. Allen Smith
Type: Checking
ABA # 322271627
Acct # 1951204345
Amount: US$5 Million USD

Please, get back to us now, because if we wait for 48-hours as instructed by the police and do not hear anything from you, we will have no choice than to forward the payment to them as you have advised.

Meanwhile, we the State Inheritance Committee in conjunction with the Apex Bank is to legally inform you that, the ATM card number: 3774 2856 7847 9006 worth Five Million Dollars ($5 Million USD) has been credited in your favor in bid to compensate you on a contract payment with the Federal Republic of Nigeria since you are next on our payment file for the Second part of this fiscal year 2012, because we want to complete every past contractor's payment between now and the next 10 working days time. We have been instructed to prepare and send you the ATM CARD copy on email first, whereas the original ATM Card which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM MACHINE in the world would be dispatched to your residential address once provided.


Your personal identification is ATM - 7997. Contact me as the verification officer Lawson Stanley (Mr.) in reply to this message with the following information below for proper instant confirmation and verification processing of the Card:


Full Name (as wanted on Card)..................
Delivery Address.........
Country..................
Occupation...............
Telephone Number............. (State best time to call)
Fax Number...............
Age......................


You are also required to send to the verification officer / agent a means of Identification which should be a scanned copy of your Driver's License or International Passport for proper verification and authentication.


We shall be expecting to receive your information, for now you have to stop any further email or telephone communication with anybody or office. On this regards, do not hesitate to contact me (Lawson Stanley) for more details and direction, and I would like to know if you had received any details from any office or personnel apart this office.


Waiting to hear from you promptly.


With kind regards,

Mr. Lawson Stanley
Verification Officer
Apex Bank.

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