joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "OPEC GRANT!" <opecgrants2013@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: claims@opecint.org
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:31:36 +0100
Subject: OPEC FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT(OFID)

From: Desk of Director
Foreign Processing Department
OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
London - United Kingdom

Attn:

You have been nominated to receive the sum of 1,000,000.00 GBP (One Million
British Pounds) in the 2013 OPEC Fund for International Development Program.

Your email address attached to secured file #: OPEC/762OFID/UK emerged as a
beneficiary in Batch BT-XW-00-AMEA.

Be informed that OFID wishes to entrust the sum of £1,000,000.00 in your care
for developmental purpose. The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
is a foundation owned by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). This foundation is funded by member nations which include: Algeria,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates
and Venezuela.

OFID is a development organization aimed at improving lives across the world.
This program tagged “Grass-Roots Program” is part of efforts to improve
standard of living through direct participation in community development
across several communities all over the world by empowering selected
individuals to implement and provide basic amenities to needing communities
and organizations.

A Solemn Declaration of the Conference "reaffirmed the natural solidarity
which unites OPEC countries with other developed and developing countries in
their struggle to overcome underdevelopment," and called for measures to
strengthen cooperation between these countries.

OPEC Fund has been undertaking several developmental projects across the
world, but we have decided to take this approach in order to enhance
proficiency and ensure grassroots development by reaching the local
communities.

OFID Fund Aims At:
1. Promoting cooperation between OPEC Fund Member States and other developed
and developing countries as an expression of solidarity with other nations of
the world.
2. Helping particularly the poor, low-income countries in pursuit of their
social and economic advancement.
3. Promoting equitable distribution of wealth.

This grant is designed into various categories; every member country is
entitled to remit funds to three winners of this grant, with each winner
entitled to £1,000,000.00 British Pounds in this year's Program.

Your batch number BT-XW-00-AMEA falls among the set of beneficiaries that will
be documented at the United Kingdom OPEC International Remittance office, this
is where you will be documented, however you may carry out your project in any
needing community in the world.

* State categorically your main point of agenda that you intend to focus this
grant on for the empowerment of the local people around your community or any
community around the world before the disbursement of funds can be finally
approved.

* Provide a form of identification along with your particulars (VIA EMAIL
claims@opecint.org) which should include Full Names, Full Address, Occupation
and Phone Numbers for documentation purpose.

You are to urgently respond to this mail with detailed information on how you
plan to expend the funds in community development because that is the basis
for this grant and not for personal luxury, you will equally remunerate
yourself reasonably to ensure success of the project.

We await your swift response, congratulations from the OPEC Fund for
International Development office.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Fatma Al Khalaf
claims@opecint.org
Tel: +44 703 591 9355
Fax: +44 207 160 5458
Publicity Directorate,
OPEC Fund for International Development Program

Anti-fraud resources: