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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: "FBI OFFICE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fbi-office@mail-on.us>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:40:03 +0200
Subject: FBI OFFICIAL NOTICE.

ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FBI AUDITORS OFFICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS
1935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NEW YORK 11210
OFFICE TEL: 1 917 832 9808
Ref: FBI/DC/25/113/13/2013
 
 
SIR,
 
FBI OFFICIAL NOTICE: WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THROUGH OUR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE MONITORING NETWORK THAT THE SUM OF TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($10.500, 000.00) HAS BEEN RELEASE FROM A BANK IN AFRICA BEARING YOUR NAME AS THE BENEFICIARY WITHOUT FUND CLEARANCE PAPERS TO CLEAR YOUR NAME AND FUND FROM EVERY TERRORIST/ MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES.
 
THE BANK KNOWING FULLY WELL THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FACILITIES TO EFFECT THIS PAYMENT FROM ANY PART OF THE WORLD TO YOUR ACCOUNT, USED WHAT WE KNOW AS A SECRET DIPLOMATIC TRANSIT PAYMENT (S.T.D.P) TO EFFECT THE PAYMENT.DIRECT TRANSFERS ARE DIFFICULT AND SECRET DIPLOMATIC TRANSIT PAYMENT (S.T.D.P) ARE NOT MADE UNLESS THE FUNDS ARE RELATED TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES AND WE ASK WHY MUST YOUR PAYMENT BE MADE IN SECRET TRANSFER IF YOUR TRANSACTION IS LEGITIMATE.
 
WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO GET INTO TROUBLE AS SOON AS THESE FUNDS REFLECT IN YOUR ACCOUNT, SO IT IS OUR DUTY AS AN INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION TO CORRECT THESE LITTLE PROBLEMS BEFORE THE FUND REFLECTS INTO YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT. WE ADVICE YOU TO CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY, AS THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN STOPPED AND IS PLACED ON-HOLD UNTIL YOU ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THE FUND OWNERSHIP CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE WITHIN 3 DAYS FROM THE COUNTRY THAT AUTHORIZED THE TRANSFER TO CERTIFY THAT THE FUNDS THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE ARE TERRORIST/DRUG FREE OR WE SHALL HAVE CAUSE TO IMPOUND THE PAYMENT AND SUBSEQUENT PROSECUTION.
 
BASED ON OUR FINDINGS, THIS INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT WISH TO WARN YOU AGAINST SOME MISCREANTS, HOODLUMS AND TOUTS WHO GO ABOUT SCAMMING INNOCENT PEOPLE BY CLAIMING TO BE WHO THEY ARE NOT AND THEREBY TARNISHING THE IMAGE OF THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY. WE SHALL ORDER THE RELEASE OF YOUR FUNDS IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVE THIS LEGAL DOCUMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET YOUR PAYMENT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.
 
WE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU DIRECTLY TO ACQUIRE THE PROPER VERIFICATIONS AND PROOF FROM YOU TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHTFUL PERSON TO RECEIVE THIS FUND, BECAUSE OF THE HUGE AMOUNT INVOLVED. BE INFORMED THAT THE FUNDS ARE NOW WITH A TOP BANK IN THE UNITED STATE IN YOUR NAME AND UNDER THE MONITORING/CUSTODY OF THE FBI. AT THE MOMENT, WE HAVE ASKED THE BANK NOT TO RELEASE THE FUND TO ANYBODY THAT COMES TO THEM, UNLESS WE INSTRUCT THEM TO DO SO, THIS IS TO ENABLE US CARRY OUT A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION FIRST BEFORE RELEASING THE FUND TO YOU.
 
HENCE, YOU ARE TO FORWARD THE FUND OWNERSHIP  CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE TO US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR POSSESSION, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT, LET US KNOW SO THAT WE WILL DIRECT YOU  TO THE LEGAL APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY TO OBTAIN THE CERTIFICATE AND SEND TO THIS OFFICE. THEREAFTER, WE WILL ASK THE BANK HOLDING THE FUNDS, TO GO AHEAD AND CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU FAIL TO PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTS TO THIS OFFICE, WE WILL PROSECUTE YOU AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AGAINST YOU FOR NOT PROVING THE LEGALITY OF THE FUNDS. ALSO FOR PROVE OF LEGITIMATE BENEFICIARY PLEASE RECONFIRM VIA EMAIL THE FOLLOWINGS:
 
1. FULL NAMES.......
2. MAILING  ADDRESS.......
3. HOME/CELL PHONE NUMBERS....
4. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF FUNDS.......
 
THANKING YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED CO-OPERATION.
 
Yours  Faithfully
 
SPECIAL AGENT TERRY WILLIAMS,
ON BEHALF OF THE FBI DIRECTOR
MR. ROBERT S. MUELLER
 
cc: general intelligence department (GID)
cc. federal reserve bank
cc: Asia pacific group on money laundering (APG)
cc: international monetary fund (IMF)
cc: international organization of securities commissions (IOSCO)
cc: international banking security association (IBSA)
cc: world customs organization (WCO)
cc: inter-American development bank (IADB)
cc: offshore group of banking supervisors (OGBS)
cc: world central bank (WCB)
cc, supreme court of justice Nigeria(SCJ)
LEGAL NOTICE:
Unless expressly stated otherwise, this message is confidential and may be privileged. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not an addressee, any disclosure or copying of the contents or any action taken (or not taken) in reliance on it is unauthorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an addressee, please inform the sender immediately.
AVISO LEGAL:
Salvo que se indique lo contrario, este mensaje es confidencial y puede ser privilegiada. Se pretende a su destinatario (s)solamente. El acceso a este e-mail por cualquier otra persona no est? autorizado. Si usted no es un destinatario, cualquier divulgaci?n o copia de lacontenidos ni de cualquier acci?n realizada (o no) en la dependencia en que no est? autorizado y puede ser ilegal. Si no son unadestinatario, por favor notifique al remitente de inmediato

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