joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
 Free trial for 30 days
   jwSpamSpy
Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "Thomson Steve" <tomsteve001@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 23:11:56 +0000
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE

NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION
FALOMO OFFICE COMPLEX,LAGOS
-----------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------

--------------------
>From the disk of: DR TOM STEVE.B,sc(UNN)M.sc

Ph.D.
MANAGER 11,BUDGET AND PLANNING
THE PRESIDENT/CEO
DEAR SIR,
WE ARE SENDING THIS LETTER TO YOU BASED ON

INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE FORIEGN

TRADE OFFICE OF THE NIGERIAN CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.WE BELIEVE THAT YOU

WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO HELP US IN OUR BID

TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF FORTY-ONE MILLION

FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS($41.5M

USD)INTO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR

BUDGET AND PLANNING OF THE MINISTRY OF

PETROLEUM,THIS COMMITTEE IS PRINCIPALLY

CONCERNED WITH CONTRACT APPRAISALS AND

APPROVAL OF CONTRACTS IN ORDER OF PRIORITIES

AS REGARDS CAPITEL PROJECT OF THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA.WITH OUR POSITIONS,WE

HAVE SUCCESSFULY SECURED FOR OURSELVES THE

SUM OF FORTY-ONE MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED

THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS.THIS AMOUNT

WAS ACCUMULATED THROUGH UNDECLARED

WINDFALL FROM SALES OF CRUDE OIL DURING THE

GULF WAR.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE

ACCOUNT INTO WHICH THE FUNDS WILL BE

TRANSFERED SINCE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE

NOT ALLOWED BY OUR LAWS TO OPERATE FOREIGN

ACCOUNT .IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE OWNER

OF THE ACCOUNT WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH

US$8.3 MILLION OF THE REMITTED FUNDS.OUR

SHARE WILL BE US$31.125 MILLION WHILE US$2.075

MILLION WILL BE SET ASIDE TO OFFSET EXPENSES

INCURED FROM BOTH ENDS.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT TWO YEARS

AGO A SIMILAR TRANSACTION WAS CARRIED OUT

WITH ONE MR PATRICE MILLER.THE PRESIDENT OF

CRAINE INTERNATIONAL TRADEING CORPORATION

AT NUMBER 135,EAST 57TH STREET,28TH

FLOOR,NEW YORK.10022 WITH

TELEPHONE(212)308-7788 AND TELEX NUMBER

6731689.AFTER THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BOTH

PARTNERS IN WHICH HE WAS TO TAKE 5% THE

MONEY WAS DULY TRANSFERRED INTO HIS

ACCOUNT ONLY TO BE DISAPPOINTED ON OUR

ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK AS MR PATRICE MILLER WAS

NO WHERE TO BE FOUND,THAT IS HOW WE LOST

US$27.5M TO MR PATRICE MILLER.
THIS TIME AROUND WE NEED A MORE RELIABLE AND

TRUSTWORTHY PERSON OR COMPANY TO DO

BUSINESS WITH,SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS

DEAL THEN WE ARE PREPARED TO DO BUSINESS

WITH YOU.
IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU ,PLEASE EMAIL

YOUR RESPONSE SO THAT WE CAN ADVICE YOU ON

THE MODALITIES OF THIS TRANSACTION .ONCE

STARTED,IT WILL NOT TAKE MORE THAN 14

WORKING DAYS WITH THE ABSOLUTE OF ALL

CONCERNED.
PLEASE TREAT AS URGENT AND VERY CONFIDENTIAL

AND REPLY TO THIS EMAIL

tom_steve112@yahoo.com,FAX

:234-1-7594325,TEL NO:234-8O-34060918
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
DR TOM STEVE.


Anti-fraud resources: