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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: ECO BANK OF GHANA <china@slas.org>
Reply-To: <chris.martins@financier.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:07:49 +0530
Subject: RE: DID YOU AUTHORIZE MR. LAWRENCE OWEN TO CLAIM YOUR FUND.

ECO BANK OF GHANA
FIRST LIGHT BRANCH
ACCRA,GHANA.
 
RE: DID YOU AUTHORIZE MR. LAWRENCE OWEN TO CLAIM YOUR FUND.
 
We have on this 13 of November 2014,received a payment credit instruction from the Ghana Government and
the United State president in collaboration with IMF and World Bank to credit your account with your full funds
valued at ($4.5 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ) from the government reserve account with our bank.
 
Note as our bank have just finished programming your file for the transfer to commence today, our bank received the below
notice from someone who goes by the name MR. LAWRENCE OWEN so we decided to contact you in person before the transfer
commences tomorrow so that we do not transfer this money into the wrong person account.
 
We hereby sends to you the informations submitted by MR. LAWRENCE OWEN with an application to receive the contract payment
on your behalf. Please as a matter of urgency, you are required to verify the following information and inform us if you are
aware or know anything about this.
 
1. Did you instruct one MR. LAWRENCE OWEN, whose information's is below, to claim and receive the payment on your behalf ?
 
2. Did you sign any "Deed of Assignment" in his favor thereby making him the current beneficiary with the following account
details.?
 
Account Name: Indo- China Group Ltd,
A/C #USD114-1025867-8,
Bank Name: Standard Chattered Bank,
Hong Kong, Swift Code: SCBL 11K111.
 
Finally, you are hereby advised to indicate to this honorable office with immediate effect, if you are the person that
instructed MR. LAWRENCE OWEN to come for the claim of these funds, to enable me endorse for the final payment.
 
For approval order on your behalf you are to call this Telephone Number +233-542-866-339, for more clarifications.
 
I await your urgent responses and be rest assured of our professional service.
 
Yours Faithfully,
 
Regards,
 
Mr.Chris Martins.
Managing Director,
Eco Bank of Ghana.

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