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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: Musa Ibrahim <musa.ibrahim001@outlook.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2015 22:14:16 +0000
Subject: CAN YOU BE TRUSTED


NNPC OFFICE COMPLEX
FALOMU IKOYI LAGOS

Hello Dear!

PERMISSION TO REMIT US $25 MILLION INTO YOUR COMPANY OR PRIVATE ACCOUNT.

It
is my pleasure to write and inform you of a transaction involving the
transfer of US $25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five million US dollars) only into
a foreign account for safekeeping pending my arrival with my colleagues
for the sharing with you as the account owner into which the money is
remitted.

I am an Enginer with the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Lagos and this money originated from over-invoiced
contract executed for the corporation some years back. This contract has
long been completed by a foreign firm and the contractor duly paid. I
now seek if you would permit the surplus to be remitted into your
account. As a matter of fact, we are top government officials and we
cannot come out openly to claim this amount.

This is why we are
looking for a competent and honest company or individual abroad whose
documents would be tendered by us here in Nigeria as one of the
contractors that executed the project. However, I would wish to receive
your personal assurance that you would not sit on the money when it goes
into your account. More importantly, you keep confidential this
transaction, in order not to tarnish the confidence repose in the
officials involved in this transaction. To effect this transfer, I
therefore request the following:

YOUR FULL NAME/ADDRESS,THE NAME
OF YOUR BANK WHERE THE MONEY WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO AND ALSO YOUR
PRIVATE FAX AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR QUICK COMMUNICATION. So far, after
due consultations, you were strongly and reliably recommended to us
although we have not met or entered into any kind of contract with you
before as to know the extent of your honesty, but based on the
recommendation, I personally want to believe that you are honest enough
and would not sit on the money if finally got into your account. It is
on this note that I consider it proper to write you asking for your
permission and support to transfer this amount into your account.

You
should not fear any risk because I have concluded arrangement to safe
guard you in the transaction. This business is 100% risk free. Hence it
requires high level of confidence and secrecy. Meanwhile the modalities
of sharing will be discused open your acceptance of this mail.In the
completion of this business I will use part of my money to invest in
your country under your care. Please note that the transfer operation
will take seven to fifteen working days to be completed. Please contact
me by the below e-mail for the way forward.

Thanks
Mr Musa Ibrahim.

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