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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: "FIDELITY BANK, WICHITA FALLS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <luiscc4749@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 19:27:53 -0800
Subject: INTEREST NOTIFICATION

Fidelity Bank, Wichita Falls Downtown Branch
Full Service Brick and Mortar Office
909 8th Street, Suite 101
Wichita Falls, TX 76308.
 
 
 
Attn: Beneficiary
 
This is to notify you that you have an accrued interest worth of us$1.5million in our bank to be claimed. It was discovered during our auditing for the 1st quarter 2014 after contract/inheritance files were reviewed and records shows that long ago, your contract fund was deposited in our bank and after some period of time, your funds were withdrawn back to the federal treasury. For the period of time your fund was in our bank, it generated an interest worth of us$1.5 million, which you are not aware of.
 
Confirm to us please if you did authorized one Mr. David Taylor to present an affidavit of claims, reported to have been signed by you for the release of your accrued interest to him. Because we were about contacting you for this before this fellow (Mr. David Taylor) who claimed to be an agent came in and presented documents for claims on your behalf.
 
Your payment is now ready to be paid/delivered to you by your choice means. Please note that you will be responsible for the cost of delivery/transfer of your funds by which ever means to you destination or bank account. Also you are going to pay upon commencement of your payment processing a mandatory sum of $185 being the accrued interest fund activation fee.
 
Kindly contact Mr. Joseph Lejeune who is mandated for your payment for payment instructions and guidelines. Reach him now on: 940-238-0096. Also re-confirm to me the followings:
(1) Your full name.
(2) Phone, fax and mobile #.
(3) Home address.
 
You are advice to disregard this notice if truly you sent Mr. David; otherwise your immediate response is expected.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Jose Luis Corsino Lantigua
Fidelity Bank, Wichita Falls.

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