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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: "United Nations" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <message@fastwebmail.it>
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 23:59:15 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF YOUR RECOVERED FUND

Our Ref:  HSBC/UNCC/WB/FGN
Your Ref:    
========================================================================
Dear BENEFICIARY.
        
I have been directed to contact you and notify you that your payment of $10 Million USD Dollars the United Nations recovered from AFRICA as an unpaid Fund belonging to you has been irrevocably approved and ready to be released to you through HSBC Bank in California, USA. Your payment Reference Number is UNFGNWB13, your Approval No. is UN5371 and Release Code is FGN022024 and you have been approved of all Clearance to receive your payment without any delays.
      
However, we are instructing you to contact Mr. Henry Garcia of HSBC Bank, Glendale Branch, CA USA on his Open Access E-mail: Message@fastwebmail.it to enable him transfer the $10 Million USD to you without any delays.
          
Yours faithfully,
          
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal
United Nations Public Information.

Anti-fraud resources: