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: Patrick Iwu" <patrickiwu44@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: patrickiwu11@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 00:42:26 -0700
Subject: $12.5Million, ATM Master card Payment

Mr Patrick Iwu,
ATM Head of Operation
Guaranty Trust Bank Nigeria PLC (GTB)


$12.5Million, ATM Master card Payment

Attention:


I am Mr Patrick Iwu, ATM Head of Operation Department Guaranty Trust
Bank Nigeria PLC, I resumed to this office on the 5th of last Month
and during my official research last week I discovered an abandoned
ATM Master card valued sum of $12.5Million with card number
532145212340 belonging to you as the rightfully intimate
beneficiary.

I tried to know why this card have not been released to you but I was
told that the formal ATM head of operation who left this office two
months ago with-held your card for his own personal use without
knowing that I will not approve or support him to take your card.

Now that your ATM Master card is still available for you to pick it up
here in our bank, I want to know how you wish to receive your ATM card
along with your four digits pin code number.

You can come down here in our bank to pick up your card direct from my
office or alternatively it can be send to your address through any
registered reliable courier service company that you will take care of
the courier charge, I don't know the cost of shipping the card to you
but if you permit me I will go to the courier shipment company to find
out the cost, but in that case you will be required to forward to me
your shipment address to enable find out the shipment cost to your
location.

Your direct telephone number and address will be needed and more
details of your ATM card payment will be made known to you as soon as
I receive your swift positive response, to enable you know the amount
programmed for your ATM daily withdrawal.

Thanks For your anticipated co-operation and understanding. We will
serve You better.

Yours Faithfully

Mr.Patrick Iwu,
GTBank Management

Anti-fraud resources: