joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "SOLICITOR. WILLIAMS F. WATSON" <solicitor.williamswatson02@gmail.com>
Reply-To: internationalfinancialoffice1@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 04:55:51 +0000
Subject: COMPLIMENT, Notification of Your Withheld Funds Now Recovered:

European Union Fund Recovery Attorneys
External Affairs Department of UN/EU
Incorporation # 98621-0074
7b the high street, Tadworth, Surrey, kt20 5sd,
Belgium, Louzalaan 149b-1050 Brussels.
Our Ref #: FRA-EU/UN03-PED/14.

File No: 34/98GT/UB/OT22/14.

Dear Lucky Beneficiary,

Re: Notification of Your Withheld Funds Now Recovered:
I am the Director, International Affairs in the United Nations and
European Union Fund Recovery Office in London, United Kingdom.
Recently, the United Nations and European Union has received
succession of complains in the existence of huge sums of money that
are trapped and left unclaimed in most African Banks, Europe and
Financial institutions around the world, the United Nations and
European Union External Affairs Department was mandated by the United
Nation and European Union to investigate and recover all funds
belonging to citizens of the following countries, Europeans, Asians,
United States, Pacific Region and Australian Nationals that are
trapped in African banks, finance houses and other related banks in
the world and remit back the recovered funds to the real owners.

On our investigation, we discovered a file no: 34/98GT/UB/OT22/14,
with the total sum of Twenty Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars only with your name as the beneficiary but has a
different account particulars and names on it, It was further
discovered that some mysterious officials of the banks/Top Government
functionaries has fraudulently diverted your funds until we intervene
and recover this money, my office has fully recovered this money and
we want you to receive it without any waste of time while we further
continue our investigation to get those fraudulent officials who were
involved in diverting innocent beneficiary's funds arrested. However
because of the problems associated with African Banks, we have decided
that all recovered funds will be paid to beneficiaries through Bank to
Bank Transfer, or Cash Delivery system.

Finally, we have surreptitiously concluded an arrangement with Top
Banks/ Private Securities Firm under the UN/EU payment Center to pay
these Recovered Deposited Funds to you, this is sequel to empowerment
given to us by the United Nations as your representative counsel to
ensure that your payment is release to you in due course. Once we hear
from you confirming your Ready, Willing, Able (R. W. A) To receive
your funds, we shall require the following information’s from you to
enable us apply for the diffusion certification as an accredited
counselor to you, thank you.

1). A copy of your Identification photograph
2). Your Contact/Residing Address
3). Your Direct Mobile/Telephone Number
4). Your complete names.

Thanks,

Yours faithfully,
Solicitor. Williams F. Watson.

Anti-fraud resources: