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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: "Mrs.Ali Rahab" <gk2146@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrs.rahabali01@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2016 18:45:58 -0700
Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT TRANSFER

ATTN: CEO,

REQUEST FOR URGENT TRANSFER OF THE SUM OF FIFTEEN MILLION THREE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS {US$15,300,000.00} ONLY, INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.

Compliment of the season.
I am the Deputy Director of finance, foreign payment approval dept. of West
African Monetary Control Board (WAMCB). North-West Regional office Burkina
Faso. My office oversees all developmental projects financed by the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Within this zone (Burkina Faso,
Niger, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Guinea).
With reference to an introduction and recommendation of you by a friend who
works in the Burkina Faso Chambers of Commerce and Industry, I do hereby,
Wish to commence talk with you on a highly confidential level. After due
consultations with my colleagues, We have decided to contact you in order to
arrange for a possible transfer of the sum of Fifteen million three hundred
thousand dollars (US$15.300.000.00) into your account. This money is a
subject of an over inflated sum acquired from contracts awarded by my Agency
in the past years.
The original contractors have however, been paid and all projects executed
by them commissioned. This over inflated amount cannot be withdrawn locally
from the paying Bank because the contractors concerned are foreign Firms. As
a matter of trust, honesty and
secrecy, we have decided to contact you as to assist us provide an account
for this transaction if you have accepted to assist and fully participate in
this transaction, kindly furnish us with the necessary information such as
Bank address, Account number, Account name and your full address. With this
information provided, the said sum will be transfer to your account without
difficulties. The terms of sharing the money after a successful transfer
will be discuss as you indicate your interest in assisting to transfer this
money.
Immediately all these information gets to us, we will then present every
document to the paying bank. Be rest assured with our connections,
everything will be through within a short time. After many years of
meticulous services to the government and people of our sub region we would
not want our image to be dented. Therefore we expect you to handle this
transaction with utmost maturity by keeping everything secret. I can assure
you that if our instructions are carefully adhered to, there will not be any
hitch throughout the transaction, there is no risk on your side because we
have perfected the deal very well over years.
After the transfer, we will be coming over to your country for further
sharing and possible investments.
I'm waiting to hear from you urgently through the telephone number
below or mail me back ASAP.

Dr. Edward Frank Deputy Director
Mrs. Rahab Ali Secretary

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