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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: "Mr. J Elias." <uniservicebenin@gmail.com>
Reply-To: zntbnc@rediffmail.com
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:36:55 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Your Transfer




Hello: Dear, Beneficiary

I have contacted my secretary to confirm if you have received the
compensation draft cheque of (US$1.500.000) which I issued in your name,
but he told me that he could not send it to you because of the courier
charges. Now I have called my bank to cancel any payment regards to the
draft cheque and then authorized them to transfer the payment into ATM
VISA  CARD in your name which they did.

As of now be informed that I have paid all the charges incurred for the
processing and documentation of the ATM VISA CARD in your name, remaining
them to reactivate the card with your current information’s as requested
below with US$252 which you will pay to the bank for the  VISA CARD
Rectification fee, and they will send you the VISA CARD for your immediate
use. Here are the information’s you have to forward to the bank:

1. YOUR FULL NAMES:_________
2. Postal ADDRESS:________
3. PHONE NUMBER:_________
4. CELL NUMBERS:_______
5. EMAIL ADDRESS:________
6. SEX:_____
7. AGE:_____
8. OCCUPATION:________
9. NATIONALITY:________

CONTACT PERSON: REV DR.GARD ANTHONY,
Director, ATM Foreign Operation Dept.
Zenith Bank Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Phone: +229 93 2358 52.
Email: zntbnc@rediffmail.com

And get bank to me once you received the VISA CARD ok.

Thanks and God bless you.
Mr. J Elias.


Anti-fraud resources: