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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: Minta Howard <hwmtaa@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2015 12:10:36 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: I NEED YOUR INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE




Dear Dr. Rajendra Singh,
Thanks for giving me this chance to finally explain to you about the transaction and procedures and how the funds would be transferred to you in your country. 
My name is Howard Minta former financier controller of Liberia under the president of president Charles Taylor. I want to guarantee you 100% that nobody knows that my former boss ex-president Charles Taylor is link to this transaction. It is genuine and there is no risk involved.aI understand your view that you would not invest your money in the transaction base on your past failure experience in similar transaction. I know that this will be your position before I contact you. I will understand you very well.
I would only plead for your attention so that I tell you the difference between my transaction and the others that you have involved in. We made our money from sales of gold and diamond during our regime. It is not refugee funds. There are refugee and Inheritance funds. They are very problematic. You could spend your fortunes to finance them and you would achieve nothing. It endless and very expensive.  There are also the problem of source of funds and fake documentation. Most important contact that can handle the transfer.
I contacted you because I know that you have the contact and personality to managed and set up profitable business empire. I wanted you to know that I did not have access to the funds due to the fact that it still with a security company where we deposited it for onward transfer to oversee transfer.
I wanted to bring to your notice that I am very confidential person and any information that i would exchange with you is genuine and must be kept secret and confidential base on the fact that am a public figure and I did not want any publicity or involved myself with anybody in Africa as far as this transaction is concern. I wanted you to know that we are very much interested in investing in your area of specialization and your location is attractive for investment. I know that whatever you invest the funds on will be profitable. I also contacted you base on your vast business experiences and locations.
I wanted you to Note the fact that not all Africans are bad. There are still good people in Africa. The good ones are more than the bad. Please think about that.
We have total spendable cash of $100m to be moved out of Ghana to your country for investment. It may interest you to know that this transaction does not take more than 4 working days to be done /delivered to destination successfully. I mean no stories if proper and legal process is followed/obtained.
During our regime in government in Liberia, we moved over $5b to the USA through a foreign beneficiary (American). The funds got into the USA successfully using this same method by bank to bank transfer and there was no story and the funds were separately deposited into various banks account. It was successful because we used same method and had authentic documentation and based on our solid contact. Unfortunately, our beneficiary betrayed us and made away with some of the money and fearing for his life that we could trace him, he reported the accounts to the FBI and these accounts were frozen and the money retrieved back to Liberia government. You can read the site for your perusal. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7379536.stm). 
Now, all that I needed from you is confidentiality and sealed lips and most of all financing the transaction. We have the contacts on the ground that is reliable and efficient. But the money to get back-up documents and delivery is the problem. If our former beneficiary had not reported the secrets account to the authority in the USA, and if our bank accounts were not frozen, I would not need any financial assistance from you. We normally set aside cash for payments but we were caught unaware and there was nothing we could do. I hope you will see reason with me after you read the website above.
Below documentation is required for the transaction;
(1): An approval from high court of justice of Liberia.
(2): bill of exchange.
(3): Origin Certificate.
(4): None money laundry certificate.
(5): IMF/AU CERTIFICATE.
(6): TICKET TO AND FRO TO LIBERIA
Note that the bedrock of this type of transaction is origin of document not country of deposit of consignment. This is the problem that you have been going through that have made you spent money. The key thing is that we are using a multinational company with a bank in the Vatican to transfer the funds to your country. The multinational company would  make a contract agreement with your company to back up the funds and the bank is going to make additional back –up documentation in addition. They would never make mistakes because every cent would be documented so that the funds could be used anywhere in the world freely. We did not want our names to be mentioned in public because we are public figure. I did not want our funds to be seized by anybody and I did not want you to lose your investment. We must do the right thing by following legal process. 
The problem now is financing the transaction. We need money to go to Liberia and get the above listed documentation which is the bedrock of the transaction. If you could finance this transaction you would receive the funds in 4 working days. I have decided that I give you $500.000,00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) if you will finance the transaction.
Finally, for us not to have any problem in your country there are few rules and regulations that would guide and protect us that you as beneficiary should be adhere to so that there would be no mistake. We must do the following things due to your past involvement with consignments from Africa.
(1): Your names will be used for the document for security reason.
(2): You must not give my names or expose this transaction to anybody inAfrica.
(3): You will discontinue further contact with anybody that you have been doing this kind of business with for total concentration and security. It just 4 working days and the funds would be in your account.
These are key issues that are vital to movement and process of the transaction.  We have solid contact with government and security agency in Africa, Asia, Australia, USA and Europe as well as Middle East. As soon as the delivery is commencing, our contacts will be notified you.
I hope you understand the whole explanation now. Call me:+233-263089176.I await your response.       
Regards,Howard Minta.

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