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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "STEVEN BEKE" <stevenbeke700@telegraf.by>
Reply-To: stevenbeke700@rediffmail.com
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 05:10:14 +0200
Subject: UNIONBANK/ UNITED NATIONS 2008 SCAM VICTIMS COMPENSATIONS PAYMENTS.


*Home <http://www.unionbankng.com/index.htm>| About us
|<http://www.unionbankng.com/history.htm>
F.A.Q. * <http://www.unionbankng.com/faq.htm> **

UNION-BANK PLC
COMPENSATION OFFICE
UNIONBANK/ UNITED NATIONS 2008 SCAM VICTIMS COMPENSATIONS PAYMENTS.
ATTN: SIR/MADAM,
REF/PAYMENTS CODE: UNB/06654 $500,000 USD.
This is to bring to your notice that we are delegated from the UNITED
NATIONS in Central Bank of Nigeria to pay 150 victims of scam $500,000 USD
(Five Hundred Thousand Dollars Only each).You are listed and approved for
this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount,get back
to this office as soon as possible for the immediate
payments of your $500,000 USD compensations funds.
On this faithful recommendations, i want you to know that during the last
U.N. meetings held at Abuja, Nigeria, it was alarming on the money lost by
various individuals to the scams artists operating in syndicates all over
the world today. In other to compensate victims, the UNITED NATIONS Body is
now paying 150 victims $500,000 USD each in accordance with the UNITED
NATIONS recommendations. Due to the corrupt and inefficient Banking Systems
in Nigeria, the payments are to be paid by Central Bank Nigeria as
corresponding paying bank under funding assistance by BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Benefactor of this compensation award will have to be first cleared and
recommended for payment by UNION BANK PLC.
Our bank is paying this amount due to the bank's financial position after
capitalisation.
According to the number of applicants at hand, 114 Beneficiaries has
been paid, over a half of the victims are from the United States, we still
have an outstanding of 36 scam victims left to be paid. Other victims who
have not been contacted can submit their application as well for scrutiny
and possible consideration.
We shall feed you with further modalities as soon as we get response
from you on how you intend receiving your compensation payment.
Send a copy of your response and payment code to our remittance
officer:
NAME: MR.STEVEN BEKE
SCAMMED VICTIM/REF/PAYMENTS CODE:
UNB/06654 $500,000 USD.
EMAIL: *unionbng_plc@hotmail.co.uk* <unionbng_plc@hotmail.co.uk>
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. May Udoh

Anti-fraud resources: