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: "THOMAS ANKRA" <t_ankra2015@yahoo.de>
Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 07:23:39 -0800
Subject: RE: PAYMENT OF US3, 800,000 TO FOREIGN BENEFICIARY AS INITIAL PAYMENT FOR OVERDUE FUND

ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICA STATES(ECOWAS)
APPROVED/DESIGNATED OFFICE FOR
FOREIGN DEBT VERIFICATION, RECONCILIATION,
SETTLEMENT/PAYMENT
USHEER TOWN, ACCRA, GHANA.

RE: PAYMENT OF US3, 800,000 TO FOREIGN BENEFICIARY AS
INITIAL PAYMENT FOR OVERDUE FUND

Attention: Beneficiary,
I am Mr. Thomas Ankra I have the mandate and full authority
from a super ceding authority to verify your transaction and
subsequently release/transfer your overdue funds into your
nominated bank account if no irregularity is uncovered
during the process of verification.
As you may rightly want to know, this development was
necessitated as a result of massive outcry/complaint from
bona fide foreign beneficiaries globally on the issue of
delay, hindrances and repeated problems on foreign payments
which also includes attachment of difficult and unfavourable
conditions from agencies, authorities and financial
institutions within ECO WAS region which in no small
measures contributed as an obstacle to foreign beneficiaries
in receiving their funds.
In order to proffer a lasting and sustainable solution to
these problems the ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES OF WEST AFRICA
STATES(ECO WAS) had to wedge into the matter by setting up a
panel to review and submit report on this sensitive issues
in order to remedy the situation and also to redeem the lost
image of ECO WAS region.
In line with the report of the panel, all charges, fees and
unnecessary payments which beneficiaries were liable to for
one reason or the other have been cancelled and a total sum
of US$3,800,000(Three million, eight hundred US Dollars)
have been earmarked as initial payment for every affected
beneficiaries. Therefore, the only thing you need to do as a
foreign beneficiary of the said funds from any ECO WAS
country is to procure a TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(TIN) in
accordance with the new directives.
Further, note that Ghana has been appointed as the only
authorized payment centre because of its position as a
sanitized and peaceful nation, this means that all payments
originally sourced and accrued from all countries within the
ECO WAS country have been channeled to Ghana for onward
transfer to qualified foreign beneficiaries.
We have been instructed to conclude the entire exercise on
or before the 1st quarter of year 2015. Any beneficiary who
fails to meet up within the stipulated period would have
his/her funds paid into the ECO WAS treasury as unclaimed
fund.
Finally, to help us commence with the process of transfer in
accordance with the new directives you will be required to
send us useful details as stated below for reconfirmation in
order to avoid wrong payment/transfer.

1. FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS:
2. TELEPHONE NUMBER:
3. TOTAL AMOUNT DUE:
4. SOURCE OF PAYMENT:
5. OCCUPATION:
6. DATE OF BIRTH

I await your prompt response to my email (
t_ankra2015@yahoo.de )
Yours faithfully,
Thomas Ankra



Anti-fraud resources: