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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: "Google Board" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <henry_salami3@yahoo.no>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 04:08:37 -0800
Subject: Attn: The Beneficiary....


>From the desk of Dr. Henry Salami,
The Audit Section of the Presidency,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Attention: The Beneficiary,

Dear Sir,

Re: Payment Instruction for your outstanding claim.

For succinct introduction, I am Dr. Henry Salami of the above named Section of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN). I was mandated as the head of Audit Section of the Office of the President to handle all Foreign Payment commissioned since 1995 till date.

Based on that your file has been forwarded to my office for review due to your outstanding sum. Based on the review carried out on your claim, I discovered that the claim you are laying was grossly over-invoiced and inflated to that magnitude by some officials who contacted you to provide an account to receive the fund simply because the code of conduct bureau does not permit civil servants to run or operate foreign account. You are presented to receive the fund as the beneficiary.

I have discovered that at no time did you execute any contract for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that you are contacted by some officials who presented you as the beneficiary just because Contract payment falls within their area of jurisdiction. Their aim is to divert the fund for you all to share mutually. I discovered and decided to contact you though you might find it difficult to believe but it is just the hard truth and so much money has been spent in these matter.
I am contacting you just for one reason that the fund can still be paid if I recommend because my discovery has not be revealled to anyone yet and I don't want to cancel the payment outrightly because it will not go down well with you. I want to let you know that the fund can be paid if you are ready to follow my advise and work secretly with me due to the fact that I have interest in the fund . I want to benefit from it, so let me know what will be my share out of it then I will go ahead and correct the anomalies and your past mistakes for the fund to be paid to you in seven working days.
I am writing you with the spirit that you have seen that this is the truth but it will be very difficult to believe. As an Auditor attached to the Presidency, I am interested in the fund and I will like us to do the business together then I will write a favourable report about the claim for the immediate release of the fund or I will put up a report that will lead to the total cancellation of the payment. I know you have lost much money in Lobbying the officials to get the approvals.

At the precise moment, the claim has been processed, we are irrevocably mandated to debit the Federal Government account. I will be expecting your call urgently on my direct No. +234 706 6918833 for us to discuss verbally for it might interest you to note that seven working day from the moment you acknowledge the receipt of this mail and agree on my terms will be enough to confirm the fund in your account provided you abide by my rules and also maintain the confidentiality of the transaction to avoid anything that will discredit my reputation.

Waiting for your response as a matter of urgency as the 2nd Payment Quarter will come to end shortly. Do reconfirm your current telephone. It is for effective communication.
Revert with utmost urgency.

Thanks,

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Henry Salami.
Auditor of the Federation. (FGN)

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