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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "PAYMENT UNIT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <james_shippingshipping00@outlook.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:19:34 -0400
Subject: FROM OFFICE OF THE HEAD DEBIT/PAYMENT UNIT

FROM OFFICE OF THE HEAD DEBIT/PAYMENT UNIT               
UN/AU DEBT SETTLEMENT RECONCILIATION COMMISSION.
TEL:+call or sent text message to this number 234-8188255261
E-mail:james_shippingshipping00@outlook.com
 
Attention:
 
Sir,
 
I am compelled to write and inform you after our board meeting yesterday that because some beneficiaries takes instructions regarding their over due contract/inheritance payments for granted, the UN Secretary General have decided that Government policies must be prevailed, to this effect the UN/AU Debt Reconciliation & Compensation Commission have yesterday 19th,March 2015 gone into an agreement with the following Financial Monitory Agencies as instructed by the UN Secretary General
 
a) INTERNATIONAL MONITORY FUND (IMF)
 
b) FEDERAL BUREAU INVESTIGATION (FBI)
 
c) INLAND REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)
 
d) WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMME
 
e) EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MONITORY AGENCY
 
that once treated transaction are not complied will be terminated with immediate effect.
 
Kindly help us to get this done as requested so that you will never be contacted for this fund release and also your Government will know that you have informed the UN/AU & the Nigerian Government that you do not need this fund anymore;
 
Kindly declare accordingly as stated below and and return to this office immediately.
 
______________________________________________________
            DECLARATION ON PAYMENT CANCELLATION.
 
I...............................{your names}........................ Of..................... {your address and country}.................. solemnly and willingly declare that the transaction on my name valued part payment sum of US$5,000,000.00 which originated from Nigeria should be canceled, I would never want to have any involvement that will require me send money to receive the funds in Nigeria as I see it may be scam, never wish to do anything with it since I have spent money on this for many times and now sees it as a SCAM. Please, UN/AU/Nigerian Government take the funds and erase my name on anything related to this fund release because I would never be interested in receiving the funds any more.
 
I made this declaration in good faith and I will never have any regret in future to come back for this fund even in the law court. Any further claims from me to have this fund should be taken to national and international security for false claims against me.
 
With Thanks
 
{Your name and signature}

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