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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: "United Nations Compensation Unit" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unlegalaffairss@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 11:32:26 -0700
Subject: Your Fund Approval

United Nations Compensation Unit,
In Affiliation with World Bank
Our Ref: U.N/WBO/042UK/2013.
 
Congratulations Beneficiary,
 
 
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and family? You may not understand why this mail came to you. We have been having a meeting for the past 7 months which just ended few days ago with the secretary to the UNITED NATIONS. This email is to all the Twenty-Five shortlisted individuals on the UN scam victims list of 2013 in trying to get their fund transferred, the UNITED NATIONS in Affiliation with WORLD BANK have agreed to compensate all the scam victims of 2013 with the sum of USD $2,500,000.00 Dollars.
 
 
This includes foreign contractors that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems etc. We found your email address in the list of those who are to benefit from these compensation exercise. I apologize on behalf of my organization for any delay you might have encountered in receiving your fund in the past. Thanks and God bless you and your family. Hoping to hear from you soon.
 
Your Vital Payment Numbers:
***********************************
PAYMENT REFERENCE NO: 5460031
ALLOCATION NO: 4870610/TH/
PASSWORD PIN: 25X013
*********************************
 
 
Having received these vital payment numbers, therefore you are qualified now to received and confirm your payment in a matter of 48-72 Hours, Please verify and contact us as we have done everything to make sure your money is credited, despite the grim circumstances down here. To help with the process of this transaction, please gently re-confirm the following information’s below:
 
 
1) YOUR FULL NAME: -----
2) YOUR FULL ADDRESS: ------
3) YOUR TELEPHONE: -----
3) OCCUPATION STATUS: -----
4) ANY VALID FORM OF IDENTIFICATION: -----
5) BANK NAME: ------
6) BANK ADDRESS: ------
7) ACCOUNT HOLDER NAME: -----
8) ACCOUNT NUMBER: -----
9) SWIFT CODE: ------
10) ROUTING NUMBER: -----
 
 
Should you find this message and will like to secure your payment without further hindrances, then i mandate you to urgently contact me In response with the information as indicated above.
 
Yours Truly,
 
MRS. PATRICIA O'BRIEN,
(Legal Affairs/Fund Release Department).
E-Mail: unlegalaffairs@hotmail.co.uk

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