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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: WEB FILE 10 <yakubuusman01@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: webfile10@yandex.com
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 02:51:48 -0800
Subject: FOR YOUR URGENT ATTENTION!

Dear Friend,

It is with trust and confidence I am writing to introduce myself
to you, and a matter which we have kept very closely to our heart over
the years. My names are Mr. Kenneth Obikalor, personal assistance to
Mr. Babs Omotowa, the group managing director of the Nigerian
Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Please be informed that I have been
mandated by my boss Mr. Babs Omotawa, to write you in respect of this
matter. It might interest you to know that our government, through the
finance ministry has authorized the payment of $68.3 million (sixty
eight million US dollars) for contract No. LNG/FGN/241/pt47/010 to a
certain foreign firm. However, unknown to the government, this last
part of the contract amount is the excess or inflated amount of the
contract value which we agreed with the contractors to have as our own
share.

I am writing to you because we want you to play an important
role in the payment of this excess amount by providing a safe bank
account where this funds could be transferred to. We shall do so by a
simple corporate process that will see you as the sub-contractor to
the original contractors and apply that the funds be released to you
as the affiliate contractor. Please note that I make this proposition
with the best of intentions. Note also that upon the successful
release and payment of these funds on your name and nominated account,
you will be entitled to an amount which shall be determined by all the
parties involved. Your opinions and input will be highly appreciated.

Finally, I have to state here that because of the sensitive
nature of this message, i advise that you kindly delete same from your
system as though you did not receive it all., if you are not well
disposed to the reality of the proposition,

I shall wait for your response.

Sincerely,
Mr. Kenneth Obikalor.

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