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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: "ZENITH BANK PLC" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrssusanakpan0@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:17:18 +0100
Subject: Re:Attention: Valued Customer

ZENITH BANK INTERNATIONAL
Attention: Valued Customer
ZBNK/02-J/RDT/I06/VRT/12
CCGB/CPEL/OWN/9876/12
Date: 11/7/2013
         
   
Re:Transaction Report
         
   
         
In close consultation with the World Bank, IMF and the European Union (EU) and  Central Bank Of Nigeria CBN, this is to notify you of your enlistment as a beneficiary of a recent Debt Management and Settlement Forum organized on the status of global arrangement to have your beneficiary fund settled once and for all. Of course, In the hope that you must have been aware of the past financial leakages in the European foreign inheritance payment system, and frustrations associated there from in your last attempt to claim the fund, wherein fund beneficiaries (like your self) was subjected to unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks in lieu of claiming funds due them.
         
   
The World Body, having solicited and received the cooperation of Nigerian Presidency, in harmonizing the sequence of payments, have discovered from records of outstanding foreign inheritance fund beneficiaries due them, that your name and payment has been withheld and remain unpaid as a result of such bottleneck. On the prompting of this finding, I wish to officially notify you that all aspects of your payment claim is being harmonized, enabling payment to be released to you as urgently as you act on the instructions of this mail through this mode of payment ATM CARD.
   
         
Consequently, ZENITH BANK OF NIG. PLC has been directed by the World Body to off set these outstanding debts, using ATM Visa Card payment arrangement. Already, a total amount of US$10.5Million has been provided to the bank with accrude interest for this purpose and it is on first come first serve. With this arrangement, I wish to inform you that Zenith Bank Of Nigeria Plc has been instructed to issue in your name an ATM Cash Card with the valued amount of US$10.5Million. In paying this amount to you, please note that it is without Prejudice to your original inheritance sum. Rather, it is a stop-gap payment arrangement put in place by the World Body to on the one hand ensure that you receive part of your fund, while on the other hand ensure that the process is smooth and without any form of stress whatsoever, whereas a comprehensive arrangement shall be made in future to pay off the remaining fund due you.
   
         
However, we are worried with the counter information received from one Mr. Jack Law, purporting to be from your directive, with express instruction to activate the ATM Cash Card for release of fund to his name a bank account in the "Cayman Islands" Obviously, we are hesitant to honor this instruction as it were, and would request that you clarify same upon your contact with us . In addition to that, we have received the following details to forestall any mistake of issuing the ATM Card with the wrong information already submitted by Mr. Jack Law:
         
   
Please reconform the following information's to enable us ascertain that you are the right beneficiray.
         
   
1) Address Where You Want Them To Send The Card Through Diplomatic Courier
Service (P.O box Not Accepted)
2) Your Full Name And Total Amount You Are Expecting.
3) Your Contact Phone Number.
Instead Of Losing Your Fund .
         
   
         
Following the recent development over your payment and after our due clarification and consolidation,We are very glad to inform you also that a new arrangement is being set up to have these funds pay to you using special influences/connection under reliable/trusted Arrangement via Atm Visa Card programming
         
   
This is based on the fact that the bank to bank transfer of huge amount of funds are being monitored under stringent rules and regulations which we have ascertained.It not everybody will tell you about this secret rather they prefer collecting money from you, now we have decided to make the whole deal easy and safer for you , your fund will be credited into Atm Visa Card which you will be liable to withdraw a maximum of US$30,000.00 at any nearest ATM Machine around you in about 210 countries in the world.
         
   
This arrangement will also eliminate the rigorous banking process and leave no traces for unwarranted taxes and scrutiny,however,This current method of payment will be done effectively without rising an eyebow or International Monetary Fund Interruption.
         
   
we shall get back to you with possible directions as soon as we hear from you.
         
         
   
Kindly get back to us today with immediate effect.
         
   
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Susan Akpan
Atm Visa Card Payment Dept.

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