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: "MR AUGUSTINE ONIWON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <augustineoniwon@poczta.fm>
Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:28:02 -0500
Subject: RE; SWIFT REPLY ASAP...

FROM THE DESK OF:
MR AUGUSTINE ONIWON
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR NNPC.
PRIVATE TEL - 234-1- 739 5195
 
Dear sir.
 
Base on the information gathered from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, I am MR AUGUSTINE ONIWON a newly retired group managing director Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) . I intend to solicit for your assistance on a transaction that will be of mutual benefit to both parties involve, on the assumption that there will not be any disappoint from both side.
 
I have in secret the sum of One Hundred And Twenty Million United States Dollars (US$120,000,000.00) which I made over time from our inflated contracts in my corporation, I took this step during my tenor as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC immediately I got a notice that the presidency was on arrangements to ask me to proceed on retirement , According to a statement from the presidency by President Goodluck Jonathan the reason for my retirement and the new appointments of another director is to further strengthen the ongoing reforms and transformation of Nigeria's Petroleum sector, and to achieve greater transparency and accountability in government.
 
 
based on this, I use the opportunity to raise money for my retirement since I do not trust my government with my pension entitlement in times to come, now I am seeking your assistance and permission to present you as a contractor who executed contract for the federal government, to enable me get an approval of payment of this sum from the federal government and remit the fund into any bank account you can provide for me.
 
Your commission for playing a contractors role and the beneficiary of this fund on my arrival to your country after the transaction will be 15% of the total sum, 10% for expenses in getting all the needed documents for the claim of the fund in your favor, the remaining will come to me and my partners here.
 
Please note that, this transaction is very risk free, that means there is no risk involved, everything will be legally worked out, assurance covers you 100%.
 
Could you please notify me of your acceptance to carry out this transaction urgently by replying me via my private email address, mraugustineoniwon@yahoo.com Tel - 234 812 207 2629
 
Note: All arrangement have been perfectly put in place with one of the top government official in this corporation, and you are covered with 100% assurance, there is no big deal, we just have to present you legally as a foreign contractor that executed a contract for this fund and we will handle the rest of the deal and make sure the government approves the payment of this money and the fund will be transferred into your bank account by the paying bank, and that is all, you get your commission and we take ours and we are good.
 
Kindly, acknowledge the receipt of this email by sending to me your complete data including your telephone numbers, I shall in turn send you my business profile for your file recording and inform you on the modalities of a formal application to secure the necessary approvals for the immediate release of this funds.
 
I look forward for your kind response indicating your interest and willingness to help.
 
Regards.
 
MR AUGUSTINE ONIWON
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
NNPC.
 

Anti-fraud resources: