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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: ALHAJI BELLO <alhaji.bello@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: alhaji_belo@cantv.net
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:36:43 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Dear Friend,





From,Mr.Bello Alhaji
African Development Bank (A.D.B).
Abidjan-Cote Divoire
West Africa

Dear Friend,

My name is Mr. Bello alhaji the Auditing & Account Manager- A.D.B In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of ($9,300,000m )
I am writing in respect of a Switzerland Citizen customer of my bank Mr. Amposta, Mathieu, dual citizen of Switzerland, who died in a Plane crash
on Monday 2nd September 1998 GMT 14:22 UK while they were flying from  New York to Geneva.
Please see for more information.  www.cnn.com/ WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html
The late Mr. Amposta, Mathieu left in our deposit the sum of U.S($9,300,000m )dollars, NINE
 MILLION THREE HUNDREDTHOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS and nobody will ever come for this money because he has no next of kin in his Documents.

I am the only person that is aware of this money since Mr.Amposta, Mathieu did not give to my institution any next of kin to inherit his money.
Now, I want to use my position in the bank to transfer this money to your country for investment.

The banking law and guidline here stip ulates that if such money remained unclaimed after some years that the money will be transfered into the bank
treasury as un claimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and an Ivoirenne cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
I don,t want this money to go away as an unclaimed fund that is why i,m contacting you to assist me to transfer this money into your bank account over there.
I agree that 40% of this money will be for you as a respect to the provision
of a foriegn account , and 60% would be for me Thereafter, I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated Therefore,
to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged,you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating
your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where in the
money will be remitted. as soon as you receive this letter. Trusting to hear from you immediately so that we can go over the details.
I wait Your Urgent Response.
Thanks yours Faithfully,
Mr. Bello Alhaji

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