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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: "T. Lemo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tdlemo@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 01:24:50 -0700
Subject: FOREIGN PAYMENT RELEASE ORDER FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

Attention: The Approved Beneficiary,

Sir,

FOREIGN PAYMENT RELEASE ORDER FROM THE GOVERNMENT

This is to inform you that your payment will be released to any of your nominated bank account before the 22 of September,2014 which is the deadline approved by the new administration to conclude this Federal Government Foreign Payment Settlement exercise. A copy of the payment advice to this effect will be sent to you accordingly as soon as your fund is release to your bank account.

This directive comes after the administration of President Jonathan E. Goodluck was consulted by the UN and the World Bank representatives over unpaid foreign contract/inheritance payment to foreign beneficiaries who as at when due have complied with their debt payment release processes.

In view of the above we have been mandated by the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately release all outstanding debts due in favor of foreign beneficiaries in conformity with the '' External Debt Appropriation Act''Special Budgetary Allocation for settlement of all outstanding payments in favor of all approved foreign beneficiaries and it includes the sum of $10, 500, 000.00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) in your payment file which have been unfolded as unclaimed funds in our vault.

This is within the limits of the UN and the World Bank respectively on External debt servicing for the 2013 fiscal year.

Based on the ongoing war against corruption and fraud within and outside the Government parastatals and its officials, you are advised to desist from further communication with agents, and representatives or any office/person(s) contacting you recently in respect to your payment.

The Government is aware that most contractors and foreign beneficiaries receive SCAM letters and advances from the criminal minded officials and hereby warn any beneficiary who might be tempted to succumb to their fraudulent scheme as the Nigeria Government will not be held liable for such illegitimate connection between the beneficiary and the unauthorized persons.

Consequently, as you may be aware of the corrupt practices which has been going on in Nigeria for over a decade now, the present democratic Government has introduced a new policy to certify any genuine approved foreign payment through the Federal Ministry of Finance under the supervision of a Panel of inquiry set up by the Presidency to monitor and report any misconduct that might arise in executing this directives.

Kindly acknowledge the receipt of this letter by return email:tdlemo@yahoo.com.hk for prompt assistance to the process and immediate release of the approved payment without interruption.

Yours faithfully.

T. Lemo
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

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