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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: "International Banking Dept." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mc_lafon@yahoo.ie>
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:38:44 -0500
Subject: REPLY ASAP.

From:   Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development
            Corporate Services/International Banking Department
            Accra Regional Branch, Premier Towers Accra - Ghana
             www.ecowas.int
 
Sir,
 
  
RE: Swift Transfer of US$10 Million into your bank account.
 
                   
I am Dr. Michel Lafont the regional manager of Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development Ghana, Accra Regional Branch, I got your contact through the trade directory of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). I am writing this proposal to you in good faith, I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us.
 
It is my duty as the regional manager of our bank to send an audited financial report to my Head Office at the end of every financial year. In last year's business report, my region in which I am the manager made excess profit out of which Ten Million United States Dollars ($10,000,000) was not accounted for in the audited account which my head office was not aware.
 
I have placed these funds in an escrow call account, as an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to these funds. So my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive these investment funds in your bank account and take 30% of the total funds as your share, while 70% shall be my share.
 
This transaction will be a bank to bank transfer, is rest assured that there are practically no risks involved,  I will front you as an account holder in my branch with the necessary back up paperwork so that our Head Office will approve and wire the total funds by swift to any of your nominated bank account.
 
I look forward to work with you for the swift transfer of these funds to your preferred safe bank account, on completion of the transfer to your bank account, I will come over to your country for personal meeting, we will go over the details as soon as I receive your reply.
 
I will appreciate your timely response, thanks for your anticipated co-operation.
 
Yours truly,
 
Dr. Michel Lafont
 

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