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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: "REV PHILIP CHINEDU" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <philipchinedu472@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:04:08 -0700
Subject: RE:DIPLOMATIC ARRANGEMENT !!!

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
FACT FINDING AND SPECIAL DUTIES
TUNUIBU SQUARE, LAGOS-NIGERIA
 
 
DEAR BENEFICIARY.
 
I AM A DIRECTOR OF FACT FINDINGS AND SPECIAL DUTIES, I AM NEWLY APPOINTED TO HEAD THIS DEPARTMENT IN THE APEX BANK (CBN).MY NAME IS REV PHILIP CHINEDU AND I AM A CLERGY WITH CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NIGERIA.INPURSUIT, I AND TWO STAFF OF MY DEPARTMENT FOUND OUT SOME IRREGULARITIES GOING ON
YOUR PAYMENT WITH CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA(CBN),WE FOUND OUT THAT YOU HAD MET ALL THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO EFFECT TRANSFER INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH YOUR BANK
 
I WILL ADVISE YOU FROM THIS MOMENT TO DESIST FROM COMMUNICATING WITH THESE UNSCRUPLOUS ELEMENTS THAT PARADED THEMSELVES TO BE GOOD INNOCENT PEOPLE,I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU DID NOT DESIST FROM THIS BAD ELEMENTS THAT YOU WILL CONTIUNE PAYING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO THEM AND WITHOUT NO END
 
I WILL FIRST DESPATCH TWO BOXES THAT WILL CONTAINED $10M AND OF $100 BILLS TO YOUR PRIVATE ADDRESS AND AFTER RECEIPT OF THE BOXES AND YOU CONFIRM THE CONTENTS FROM YOUR BANKERS,I WILL SEND TO YOU ANOTHER BATCH BUT I WILL ADVISE THAT YOU WILL NOT LET ANY BODY TO KNOW ABOUT THIS METHOD TO AVOID PEOPLE RAISING EYE BROW.I HAD ARRANGED WITH THE COURIER COMPANY,
I WILL FINALLY CONCLUDE WITH THE COURIER COMPANY WHEN I RECEIVE YOUR GO AHEAD ORDER ,KINDLY STOP ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THESE PEOPLE AND DO NOT PAY ANY MORE MONEY TO THEM OR TO THOSE CALLED THEMSELVES BANK OFFICIALS.
 
I WILL FURNISH YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION AS SOON AS I RECEIVED YOUR GO AHEAD ORDER, THAT YOU WILL COMPENSATE ME AND MY COLLEAGES WITH THE SUM OF $500,000.
 
I WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW.
 
BEST REGARDS
REV PHILIP CHINEDU

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