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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "HENRY SHAWN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <infoinfo552@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2017 08:00:53 -0700
Subject: XRef: CBN /0N8/CONTRACT NO.856

 
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS (F.B.I)
HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC. MR. ANDREW G. MCCABE
BUILDING 935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE,
NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
Our Ref: CBN /0N8/CONTRACT NO.856.
To. Beneficiary,
This is HENRY SHAWN FBI DIRECTOR, and we are here in Africa as an FBI/UNITED STATE delegate that have been delegated to investigate these fraudsters who are in the business of swindling Foreigners that came for transaction in Africa.Please be informed that during our investigation,we found out that there is a total sum amount of money $12.5 million that has been assigned in your name as the beneficiary and these fraudsters are busy swindling you without any hope of receiving your fund. These are the works of the fraud stars who needed to extort money from you in the name of this transfer.We have to inform you that we have made some arrested in respect of this delayed over due fund. I have a very limited time to stay in Africa here so I advise you urgently respond to this message. These criminals will be caught unaware and we don't want them to know this new development to avoid jeopardizing our investigation,you need to conceal anything that has to do with this exercise to enable us get all the necessa
I shall be expecting your swift response as soon as you receive this email and notify us any message you receive from those fraudsters for us to investigate on it
before you make any contact with them.
Regards.
HENRY SHAWN
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS (F.B.I)
 

Anti-fraud resources: