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. CHRISTOPHER TOWE." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michaelpeterson00002009@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:04:03 +0100
Subject: MR. CHRISTOPHER TOWE.DID YOU AUTHORIZE ONE MR. ROBERT L. SMITH TO MEET US AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVES?

Good day,
 
Did you authorize one Mr. Robert L. Smith to meet us as your representatives?  With documents of claim purported to have been signed by you for the released of your part-payment of US$9,700,000.00 (Nine Million, seven hundred thousand United States Dollars Only), because the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) are not happy that you have not received your fund by now.
 
Please re-confirm back to us to avoid any irregularities as your funds is now ready to be transferred to you, with the instruction given to us by the Accountant General of the Federation and the International Monitoring Fund (IMF) in collaboration with the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) to pay all foreigners
there outstanding payment. I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed and will be released to you as soon as you reconfirm your payment details so that we can authenticate your claim legally.
 
We hereby officially notifying you about the present arrangement to pay your overdue payment
Contract/ Inheritance/ Cash Prize Award Fund which you could not completed the process of the released of your Transfer Pin Code through the Digitalized Payment System, we have decided to pay your funds without any requested fee but through (ATM Master Express Credit Card) this arrangement was initiated/constituted by the World Bank and Paris Club, due to fraudulent activities going on within the African Region.
 
The World Bank and Paris Club introduced this payment arrangement as to enable our Contract/ Inheritance/ Cash Prize Award  beneficiary to receive their funds without any more interference, the ATM Master Express Credit Card was contracted and powered by GOLD CARD WORLD WIDE, be informed that after the adequate verification on your fund, the International Monitoring Fund (IMF) and the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) has authorize the central bank Nigeria that is in charge of your fund  to credit your money into an International ATM Master Express Credit Card and confirm that to them immediately you received the fund.
 
Do re-confirmation of the below information's.
 
1) Your full name.
2) Phone, fax and mobile
3) Company's name, position and address.
4) Profession, age and marital status.
5) Copy of int'l passport or any scanned identity to prove you.
6) Purpose of the fund you intend to receive
7) Total Amount Involved
 
With all the above information's your money will be sent to you as the rightful beneficiary
 
Yours truly,
 
MR. CHRISTOPHER TOWE.
PAYMENT OFFICER ON CONTRACT/ INHERITANCE/ CASH PRIZE AWARD.

Anti-fraud resources: