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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: "Central Bank of Nigeria" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <infocontactcbnn@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2015 17:57:37 -0600
Subject: RE: CHANGE OF ACCOUNT PARTICULARS ON YOUR BENEFICIARY FILE.

From the Desk of Alhaji Suleiman Barau
Deputy Governor Central Bank of Nigeria
Federal Republic of Nigeria
 
 
Dear Beneficary,
 
 
                               RE: CHANGE OF ACCOUNT PARTICULARS ON YOUR BENEFICIARY FILE.
 
 
We have just received a payment credit instruction from the Nigeria Government in collaboration with IMF and World Bank to credit your account with your full funds valued at (TWELVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) from the government reserve account with our bank.
 
Note as our bank has just finished programming your file for the transfer to commence today, our bank received the below notice from some body who goes by the name Mr. Fred Wong of Pegasus Investment Limited so we decided to contact you in person before the transfer commences so that we do not transfer this money into a wrong person's account.
Our bank hereby sends to you the information submitted by Mr. Fred Wong of Pegasus Investment Limited, Hong-Kong with an application to receive the contract payment on your behalf. Please as a matter of urgency, you are required to confirm to us that you are aware or know anything about this.
 
1. Did you instruct one Mr.Fred Wong of Pegasus Investment Limited Hong-Kong, whose information    is below, to claim and receive the payment on your behalf?
2. Did you sign any "Deed of Assignment" in his favor thereby making him the current beneficiary with the following account details?
 
Account Name: Pegasus Investment Limited,
Bank Name: FALCON PRIVATE BANK AG,
Switzerland,
A/C #: 3437970,
Swift Code: UEBECHZZ.
 
 
Finally, you are hereby advised to indicate to this honorable office with immediate effect, if you are the person that instructed Mr. Fred Wong to come for the claim of these funds, to enable me endorse for the final payment.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
Alhaji Suleiman Barau (OON)
Deputy Governor, Operations Central Bank of Nigeria.(CBN).
Federal Republic of Nigeria

Anti-fraud resources: