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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: "From The U.S Department Of Homeland Security." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <timothyjlowenberg@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2018 18:52:21 -0300
Subject: Goodluck

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY,MG
Timothy J. Lowenberg, Adjutant
General and Director State Military Department
Washington Military Dept.,
Bldg1 Camp Murry, Wash
USA.
                                             Good Day To You,
I hope this email finds you in good spirit and in good health? because i am quite aware of your losses in the past years now through this security office intelligent track devices, it may surprise you that i am also aware of your ATM Master Card Pursuit In Nigeria.
My name Is Supp. Timothy J. Lowenberg,the Current secretary of U.S Department Of Homeland Security, i am in charge to monitor all Foreign Transactions In Africa Europe And Asia and this kept me in constantly traveling round the world.
I have been in The U.S Department Of Homeland Security Secret Service now since The Government of President Barack Obama, monitoring the various transactions going on in Africa, Europe And Asia, most especially Consignments Cases, A.T.M Card Cases And Bank Transfer.
I do not intend to spoil your day or to put you under duress but you can not receive any of your Consignments Boxes, A.T.M Card  And Bank Transfer  pursuit, without a Clearance from this U.S Department Of Homeland Security. However, upon my arrival in Benin Republic after series of meetings with our President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, due to numerous complains from other Security Agencies from Africa Asia, Europe, Oceania, Antarctica,South America And The United States Of America Respectively, and against the Nigeria Government and Nigeria over the rate of Scam/Fraudulent Activities going on in these Africa Countries and around the World.
When i arrive in the Abuja Nigeria and going through all cases of unpaid funds, i found your ATM Card Clearance File lying on the Foreign Affair Office Desk without any attention and on a thorough scrutiny, i discovered that your Consignment have been abandoned by your delivery agent. Meanwhile, i was made to understand that the Foreign Affair Office have tried to reach to you, but no way and they have made several attempts to contact your delivery agent but to no avail.
To my greatest surprise, during my recent routine Re-Checking, i personally discovered that your Consignment Content Declaration Document (C.C.D.D)stated that your Consignment Contains Personal Effects meanwhile, it contains United States Dollar Cash US$10 Million Dollars,  (Ten Million United States Dollars) which made it impossible for the ATM Master Card to be delivered to you earlier before now.
Based on this personal discovery, i am contacting you now to let you know that with my position and power as the secretary of U.S Department Of Homeland Security and now i am presently here in Nigeria to handle this  matter of all unpaid foreign payment to their respective owners like you, i can assist you to legally clear your Consignment Funds and personally make the shipment to you on my traveling back, but you must agree with the following conditions.
Because i have called our office in Washington,Dc from here in Nigeria, who has been intercepting all your E-Mail Communications, telephone Text/Sms messages & all telephone Calls, with the help of Mtn, Tigo Vodafone And Airtel Network Here in Nigeria.
I also received some information from our Homeland Security Office representing here in Abuja Nigeria, they have confirmed about your emails, & other communications that you have been dealing and sending Money to people in Nigeria ,who claims to be the Western Union Directors and representative of other unofficial offices. You are also dealing with a Bank, and other names which i am still waiting to be forwarded to me from Our Office In Washington,Dc. My office authority have monitored all your dealings with those Hoodlums.
You are advice to from hence fort stop further dealings with all the above mentioned people, until we complete our investigation. Because your dealing with them is termed as illegal transaction. I wish to inform  you that we the Homeland Security is on look out for all the above mentioned names, mostly those who claims to be the director of West African Debt settlement, Western Union And Money Gram And A.T.M Card offices and including the property recovery Abuja Nigeria. All these mentioned people are imposters, and we intend to apprehend them soon.
I want you to please stop communicating, and dealing with them until we complete our investigation. I wish to notify you about the latest development concerning your ATM Master Card content of your total US$10 Million that was already handed over to me today.
Your ATM Master Card content of your total US$10 Million was assigned to me today after the meeting held between me and some of the top Parliament members of Nigeria and the President with some of the Foreign Affair Minister in the Nigeria Capital Commecial Headquarters Abuja, due to the delay by you as nobody has heared from you to receive your ATM Master Card For Long time now.
Accordingly, we have waived away all your ATM Master Card "Clearance Fees" and authorized the Government of Nigeria Republic to allow me fly with this your approved ATM Master Card to make the delivery to you without any delay which they have agreed. The only Fee you will Pay to confirm Your ATM Card received in your possession is the "Air Flight Weight Fee" of  your ATM Card which is the sum of  US$199.00 only. In order words your ATM Card Parcle is with me now and i shall be coming to your
country to make the delivery to you as soon as you sent me your below shipping details/Address where you will want your consignment be deliver to you.
Your Full Name: .........
Your Full Address:  ......
Your Direct Telephone Numbers: .............
Preferably, you can send us your Mobile Phone number to enable an urgent direct  contact with you hence the arrival in your city. Hence i hear from you also with the MTCN Numbers for the fee payment of the Air Flight Weight Fee of your Parcle which is the sum of US$199.00 only, then, i will be coming along with your ATM Card Parcle content of your US$10 Million, but remember that as the secretary of The Department Of Homeland Security United States Of America, i am a Us Government Secret Security Agent and i have the power to go through any Airport Customs and security Agents without personal inspection or inspecting what i carry along and as soon as i arrive in your state, i will give you a telephone call and instantly send an email to you from my official Ipad Hand Computer which is always with me while traveling around the world so that you will
give me a direction on how we can meet Face to Face and i will physically hand over your Consignment Box to you before proceeding back to to my official duty Post in the States.
As soon as i arrive, i shall call you on your Telephone Number following an email to you then when you immediately respond, i will Meet you in person, hand  over your Consignment Box to you and all these will end once and forall now.
I have taken this assignment upon myself because i understand that you have really paid so much on the cost of these Delivery which i want to stop now, because, nothing was received by you. So be advised to contact me hence immediately you get this email now because, every thing has been done ok.
Once you send the money, try to immediately notify me with the Mtcn for easy pick up and for the immediate action on the delivery of your ATM Card,for you to receive your  Funds without any further delay
Again . Since you was unable to receive it since . Send the fee of  US$199.00 via Money Gram or Western Union Money Transfer
using the below stated receivers name and information.
Receiver’s Name_____ Ikemefuna Osi
Country_________Nigeria
City__________Lagos
Amount_______US$199.00
Question_______ Urgent
Answer______Today
Mtcn_______
Sender's Name _____?
Sender's Address___?
As soon as you send the fee, make sure that you send me the MTCN numbers, senders name and other payment information.Once you send the Money, Try to immediately notify me with the Mtcn for confirmation and for the immediate action on the shipping of your Consignment and its  Handing over to you. Also you are to forward to us any email that you have been receiving
from people for proper verification and investigation before you deal with them okay.
Sincerely Yours,
CURRENT SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY USA .
Timothy J. Lowenberg
From The U.S Department Of Homeland Security.

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