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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: "World Bank Group" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <message@fastwebmail.it>
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 01:35:08 -0000
Subject: Urgent Notification of Your Unclaimed Fund.

Our Ref: Compensation Fund Notice, #: WB/UN/AU/03/13.
==========================================================================
Attn: Beneficiary.
    
I have been informed to contact you and notify you that your payment of US$10.5 Million Dollars the Directors of World Bank Swiss recovered from a Bank in Africa as unclaimed Fund belonging to you has been approved to be release to you. Your Release code is UN/WB/AU/11/13-194 and Approved code is: CMP1102R. Having received these vital payment codes, you are therefore qualified to receive your US$10.5 Million Dollars immediately within the next 48hrs.
    
We have mandated Savanna Bank Plc to release this US$10.5 Million Dollars to you as soon as possible. Please kindly contact Mr. Osas Eke of Savanna Bank Plc on his open email: Message@fastwebmail.it  and send him your above payment numbers which will empower him to release your US$10.5 Million Dollars to you as soon as possible.
     
Thanks for adhering to this instruction and once again, accept our congratulations.
      
Yours faithfully,
          
Kaushik Basu.
Director,
World Bank Group
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433 USA

Anti-fraud resources: