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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: Martin Owoedhe <owoedhena05@yahoo.it>
Reply-To: owoedhenarep@yahoo.es
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 15:30:27 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Good Day


H.O.D. ACCOUNTS.

FEDERAL MINISTRY

OF WORKS & HOUSING.

VICTORIA ISLAND.

LAGOS - NIGERIA.


FIRST I MUST SOLICIT FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS

TRANSACTION. THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF IT BEING VERY CONFIDENTIAL,

MY NAME IS MR.MARTIN OWOEDHE . AN ACCOUNTANT (FOREIGN PAYMENT DEPT) WITH THE FEDERAL

MINISTRY OF WORKS & HOUSING. LAGOS- NIGERIA.


I CAME TO KNOW YOU IN MY SEARCH FOR A REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE THIS

CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION WHICH INVOLVES THE HUGE TRANSFER OF MONEY TO

A FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE.WITH THE ASSISTANCE

OF SOME SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE.

WE WANT TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF SIX MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US

DOLLARS ($6.5 MILLION } OUT OF MY COUNTRY, NIGERIA.THE SIX MILLION

FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS IS AN ACCUMULATION OF OVER-INVOICED

CONTRACTS WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN EXECUTED AND COMMISSIONED.


THIS AMOUNT STILL LIES IN THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS SUSPENCE ACCOUNT

WITH THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN).AS WE CIVIL SERVANTS ARE NOT

ALLOWED TO OPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE CODE OF CONDUCT ACT

IN NIGERIA MAKES IT AN OFFENCE FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICER TO OPERATE

FOREIGN ACCOUNT. IT IS AS A RESULT OF THIS THAT WE SOLICIT YOUR

ASSISTANCE TO MAKE USE OF YOUR PRIVATE/COMPANY'S ACCOUNT TO TRANSFER

THE SAID SUM.


PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL MODALITIES HAS BEEN WORKEDOUT FOR A

SMOOTH AND HITCH-FREE TRANSFER OF THE US$6.5MILLION INTO YOUR ACCOUNT,

WITHIN TEN WORKING DAYS OF GETTING YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE AND CONSENT.

YOU WOULD BE ENTITLED TO 30% OF THE $6,500,000 FOR PROVIDING US AN

ACCOUNT, 65% WOULD COME TO US IN NIGERIA, AND THE REMAINING 5% WOULD BE

USED TO OFFSET ALL LOCAL/FOREIGN EXPENDITURE ON THE FOLLOWING GROUNDS.

(A)

THAT WE ARE SATISFIED ON ALL GROUNDS THAT OUR SHARE OF THE FUND

WOULD

BE GIVEN TO US AFTER TRANSFER TO YOUR DESIGNATED ACCOUNT .

(B)

THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS TREATED WITH UTMOST CONFIDENCE, SECRECY AND

ABSOLUTE SINCERITY, WHICH IT DEMANDS.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE

PROPOSAL, YOU CAN CONTACT ME NOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THE

TRANSACTION. YOU ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A SECURED TELEPHONE

NUMBERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRANSACTION.


EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM

YOU SOONEST.


YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR.MARTIN OWOEDHE .

- Martin Owoedhe


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