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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: "DR JONAH S. MUSTAPHA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sarafimustaphap@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 00:34:08 -0800
Subject: TREAT VERY URGENT

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY
           Republic of Ghana
 
Our Ref: AWD1548VGI2
File No: 103DH/011
Report mode: AAC/SUD-678UF
 
Subject:            FUND RELEASE NOTIFICATION
 
Attn:  The Beneficiary,
 
Dear Sir/Madam
 
The Office of the Presidency of Ghana have received official notification from the International Monetary Fund {IMF} Head-Quarters United Kingdom, in respect of your
 
pending transaction involving transfer of large sum of money originating from African region.  Details of this notification have shown that you have not received your
 
funds after several efforts you have made to receive this fund from various authorities. Currently, your funds has been moved to Bank of Ghana after recent meeting
 
held by {IMF} African Regional Representatives in {IMF} Headquarters in United Kingdom, concerning all unclaimed funds originating from African Regions, and a mandate
 
have been signed for immediate release of such funds to their respective beneficiaries.
 
Through IMF verification, your File/records have shown that you have gone through so many complications and delay through various authorities in the past, in the
 
process of the release of your funds, and all your efforts towards this have failed. It has also been traced by the International Monetary Fund Committee that your
 
matter is delayed through corrupt officials, being manipulated by some people you have been in contact with, and you have also spent a lot of money in this process
 
without any positive result.
 
Report of the delay in your transaction has reached the International Monetary Fund Committee at the IMF Headquarters, and a mandate has been signed by IMF Committee
 
for immediate release of this fund to you via bank to bank transfer, from the Bank of Ghana, under full supervision from the Office of the Presidency Ghana.
 
The International Monetary Fund {IMF}, in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana through direct supervision from the Office of the Presidency Ghana, will embark on full
 
process of this exercise through your maximum co-operation, to ensure that your pending fund is finally released to you, without any further complication or delay.
 
You are advised henceforth, to stop further communication with any individual,  bank, Company, Government authorities OR any Authority in Africa, Europe or Asia in
 
respect of your pending fund, and then direct all communication to this Office (Presidency Office Ghana) in order to avoid any interference on the on-going process of
 
the release of your pending fund to you.
 
You are hereby required to confirm your full identity to this Office immediately, including your full details, for the commencement of this process.
 
We anticipate your maximum co-operation for final release of your pending funds.
 
At Your Service
        DR JONAH S. MUSTAPHA NKURUME
(Information Desk-Presidency GH)
 

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