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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:
Reply-To: Jim Michael <commissioner.lilongwepolice@gmail.com>
Date:
Subject: Extreme urgent/very important.




Dear Sir
It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that your payment issue is settled. We are committed to helping people and businesses by providing affordable, reliable and convenient payment services.

This is to notify you of the efforts of our bank department to credit your fund directly to your receiving bank account ; BUT we discovered some breaking down from our banking system due to the volume of your fund.

Firstly, we discovered that the Department of Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) department will require some certificates which will cost alot of money. Secondly, we discovered that the Africa Development Bank as Apex bank in West Africa will require tax charges. All these charges will cost you a huge amount of money while we know your financial situation.

In summary; we have board directors meeting this morning regarding the issue of your transaction and we have concluded to use the reserve payment of our bank with the PNC bank in the United States of America to credit your fund to your account. In view of this development, your payment file has been forwarded to our Affiliated Bank some hours ago and they agreed to credit your fund via Bank to Bank MT103/202 Direct SWIFT Telegraphic Wire Transfer into your receiving bank account.

Take note, our bank department has been in contact with the financial consultant expert (Royal Trust & Associates) USA worldwide who specializes in fund transfers abroad. They are the people that will process the payment from the United States of America (USA), and they are legal partners to the PNC Bank.
Please understand that MT103 202, Direct SWIFT are the channels for moving huge amounts of funds. All transactions need legal procedure because financial laws are very serious in the world.
Based on the record in our computer database, after we have verified your payment file your outstanding payment including accrued interest payable, is $21,739,800 [Twenty one million, seven hundred and thirty nine thousand, eight hundred US dollars] only.

These funds shall be credited to your receiving bank account immediately you contact the office of Royal Trust & Associates. kindly work in line with them to process the payment via Bank to Bank MT103/202 Direct SWIFT Telegraphic Wire Transfer.

I am very glad to announce to you that your co-operation in this transaction is well appreciated, and therefore I want to use this great opportunity to assure you with 100% sure that this transaction is already successful.

We advise you to contact them immediately for further subject communication with you, Moreso, you will be writing a promissory note to me that as soon as you receive your funds, you will compensate me for all my effort. These are the conditions, if it is acceptable by you, then get back to me so that we can proceed, but I am assuring you that with this procedure, you are instantly qualified to receive and confirm your funds within 72hrs.

Yours faithfully,

Jim Michael Obodo.
Commissioner of Foreign payment
West Africa compensation payment center.

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