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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: "Ms.Linda Douglas" <douglasvivian835@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: enquriescustomerservice@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 10:40:06 +0100
Subject: Your paid $5,000,000.00USD has been released



Hello Dear customer,

Hope this find you on good health?

NOTE: If you received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, that is
because of the restrictions implemented by your Internet Service
Provider, we urge you to treat it genuinely.

On behalf of the management of entire Western Union Office in West
Africa including Federal Republic of Nigeria and Benin, i write to
inform you that after the general meeting held on March, we concluded
with the federal authority that your funds will no longer be
transferred through western union means of sending money
worldwide.This issue was investigated and addressed by the President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Governing Board of Central Bank
because of the unnecessary delay of your payment. It was further
noticed that your funds has been unnecessarily delayed by corrupt
officials of some
banks and other government officials as well as some Western Union
agents in those countries. Currently your payment has been recommended
and approved by the federal authority that an official ATM card will
be delivered to you within 72 hours.

We therefore agreed with the federal authority that your total fund of
five million United States Dollars ($5,000,000.00USD) will be
uploading in office ATM card because it will also take much time to
transfer such huge amount by western union. This led to the agreement
that you will be sent an ATM card with the value of five million
United States Dollars ($5,000,000.00USD). It will also put a stop on
hopeless situation created by those officials who claimed to be in
charge of your funds. Your fund is now credited in ATM card in your
favor and deactivated for security reasons.

The federal authority in their view to making the delivery of your ATM
successful, appointed UBA BANK GROUP ATM director Mr.Thomas Sears to
take charge of the transaction. He is the only director in charge of
your funds now, you are advised now to stop any further communication
with other offices including western union and money gram. Western
Union is no longer in charge of your funds, if you receive any mail
telling you to contact western union, kindly know that it's a fake and
it will be treated as fraud mail. They also ordered some secret
security to monitor the director until you receive your ATM card and
withdraw all your funds.Note/ to forward him your full details such as.

1,Your Full Name:.....................
2,Your Complete Address: ...............
3,Direct Telephone Number:.............

Contact Mr. Thomas Sears now at (enquriescustomerservice@gmail.com)
office line: +233248780346. Call him immediately you emailed him for

urgent response on what to do next.

Signed.

Ms.Linda Douglas
Management of Western Union West Africa

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