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: "Kenneth Robertson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrkennethone@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 19:35:38 -0600
Subject: Please read carefully and know the secret why you have not yet been paid.. Please respond immediately

Mr. Kenneth Robertson
IMF Liaison Office
Abuja Nigeria
 
Beneficiary,
 
First I must apologize for contacting you if my help is not needed. My problem is that I hate to see people being cheated for no reason. I am a junior staff at the IMF liaison office here in Abuja Nigeria and while going through some  approved payment  files in my office, I discovered that some foreigners are being used and dumped by some of our Senior Directors, Banks Executives and the Government officials. I found out that a payment attached to this email address has long been approved to be released to you but the greed which exists in the lives of the senior workers will never allow them to let you have your payment.
 
I will not be surprised if you do not know about this payment but the truth is that this payment is attached to this email address and definitely belongs to you (Email owner). I am writing you because I am willing to work with you to gather all the legal documents in your name for immediate transfer of the funds to your account within the next 72 hours. Be informed that most people who have money approved to them here are not even aware of the funds. All we need is to get approvals in your name to legally approve you as the owner of the funds since this email address belongs to you.
 
The reason I decided to secretly contact you is that few days ago, a man by name Mr. Gregory Peck contacted our office informing us that you have given him instruction and authority to receive the approved US$12,700,000.00 (Twelve Million Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars) only on your behalf. According to him, he said that you asked him to represent you in receiving this amount. He also forwarded an account where your funds should be transferred to immediately.
 
Here is the information he forwarded to us for your own confirmation:
 
Mr. Gregory Adams
TD Canada Trust
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2Z9 Canada
Account# 0011-6243094
Transit & Branch # 060-00112-004
 
I want you to confirm to me immediately if you at any time instructed the above person to receive this amount on your behalf and if not, you are requested to immediately get back to me reconfirming your own details requested below:
Full name………………………………………
Complete address…………………………………..
Office/Home Tel: ………………………….Mobile………………………
Occupation…………………………Age……………………………….
 
 
Upon receipt of your confirmation, I shall immediately assist you to process all the legal documents from here to enable the Bank make immediate payment of your funds within the next 72 hours after processing. If you sent this man, do reconfirm also to me and I will help him to process the legal documents in his name.
 
I will appreciate your urgent response and confirmation as this office has been given until seven (7) working days to carry out all approved payments or return them as unclaimed funds. Note that the earlier you respond to this message, the better as all modalities have been put in place for immediate payment of the above sum.
 
 
Note that this payment is 100% legal and risk free as I will legally obtain all the documents to put you in place as the legally approved beneficiary and the funds will be transferred within 3 working days. Please keep this very confidential and I assure you that this will be completed successfully.
 
I await your urgent response now.
 
Regards,
Mr. Kenneth Robertson
 

Anti-fraud resources: