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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: Micheal Odei <micheal_odei@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 04:02:59 -0700
Subject: Greetings,

Greetings,

It is indeed my pleasure and honour to write you this letter, which I
believe will be a surprise to you as we have never met before, my name is
Micheal Odei. I am a Retired Regional Manager of International Commercial
Bank of Ghana Ltd. Kaneshi Branch in the greater Accra region of Ghana.

I write you this proposal in good faith. I have packaged a financial
transaction that will benefit you and me, as the regional manager
International Commercial Bank of Ghana Ltd; it is my duty to give a
financial report of my branch to my head office in the capital city Accra
at the end of each business year. On the course of 2013 business report, I
discovered that I deposited sun of (US$9. 950, 000, 00) Nine Million Nine
Hundred fifty Thousand US Dollars, through the former director of Gold
Marketing Department of Ghana Gold Corporation. Chief, Dr, Engr. Nana
Mensah in this branch which I am the manager. He was facilitated an award
of one-year-term Gold marketing Broker to an Italian broker. He has a
mutual understanding to 'TOP' his shipments above the quantity that was
officially granted to him.

This was how he generated this amount (US$9. 950, 000, 00) Nine Million
Nine Hundred fifty Thousand US Dollars, as being stated above in his favour
in the custody of my branch. Now Chief, Dr, Engr. Nana Mensah is late
without any beneficiary to this fund and according to the information I got
about him, he was single without any child. And my head office is not aware
of it and will never be aware of it. I have placed this funds on what we
call escrow call account with no beneficiary.

As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this fund, so
my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this fund in your bank
account and get 30% of the total funds as commission. There are practically
no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank transfer and all I need from
you is to stand and claim as the original depositor of these funds who made
the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to
your designated bank account. If you accept to work with me, I will
appreciate it very much. Thank you in advance and May God bless you and
your family.

Best Regards
Mr. Micheal Odei,

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