joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: "Mr. Robert G. Gauthier" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <financial.grants@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:58:32 -0700
Subject: Find detail of your US$6.250,000 approved

Find detail of your US$6.250,000 approved

Dear Sir,

Please note that your funds shall be sent to any of our Escrow offices as provided on list below as to the region where your credit originated from hence we require you to give us your identity either copies of your passport or drivers license, your address and direct phone number to prepare the payment voucher and other payments documents and to make available The sum of Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars (US$6,250,000 for your payment on the date of your arrival to our office .

Due to frequent reports of falsification of our checks and other monetary instruments, we do not post our cheques any longer but we make payment by cash hence we would process the payment documents to enable you go with our staff in our vehicle to any banks within the office located as contain to deposit the money as movement of large cash across border-posts is prohibited by International Financial Security.

We shall appoint payment coordinator that will assist to coordinate your coming and getting your payment and taking same with you to deposit in the bank for on-the-spot further transfer to your choice account.

Expecting your urgent reply

Thank you

Mr. Robert G. Gauthier

Director
Africa Regional Resource Centre
United Nation Compensation Commission
U N C C Secretariat
United Nations House
Plot 11 Wuse Abuja
Nigeria

Anti-fraud resources: