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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: "Mr. Peter Marriott" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <britishfinancemonitor@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:28:37 -0800
Subject: YOUR FUND RELEASE/ WIRE TRANSFER IS READY

The British Finance Monitoring Unit
8th Floor Eller Man House, 12-20 Chamomile Street,
EC3A 7PC, London, United Kingdom
 
From The Desk of:
Mr. Peter Ralph Marriott FCA, BEc (Hons), MAICD
Executive Director
British Finance Monitoring Unit.
Attention: Beneficiary,
We have noticed that a huge sum of money has been credited in your name for transfer and is currently floating in the international banking community.
In Line with the Law of the Government of Great Britain and other member countries of the United Nations, huge sums of money that has been found in the international Monitoring data system waiting to be transferred without claims for a period of 6 months or more, shall be confiscated and sent to the United Nations Treasury.
Prior to the above, we request you to contact this office immediately within 3 days of this notice for ratification by forwarding to us all current information including your direct telephone number and postal address where your original payment release documents shall be sent to you or your fund could be confiscated following the United Nations law on such delay.
Be informed also that as soon as we receive your current data then we shall endorse the payment release documents and immediately instruct our authorized Bank of International Settlement (BIS) to release your funds by forwarding your file to them for immediate payment consideration.
Please act accordingly.
Yours Faithfully,
Peter Ralph Marriott FCA, BEc (Hons), MAICD
The Director,
British Finance Monitoring Unit.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
THIS COMMUNICATION AND ITS ATTACHMENTS MAY CONTAIN NON-PUBLIC, CONFIDENTIAL OR LEGALLY PRIVILEGED INFORMATION. THE UNLAWFUL INTERCEPTION, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF SUCH INFORMATION IS PROHIBITED. IF YOU ARE NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, OR HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION IN ERROR, PLEASE NOTIFY THE SENDER IMMEDIATELY BY REPLY EMAIL AND DELETE ALL COPIES OF THIS.

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