joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "hundred thousand us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Thompson Malik <judyreisberg@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: Thompson Malik <thmalik11@avoe.ge>
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 06:34:53 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: CONTRACT INFO - our joint benefit

Dear Sir/Madam

I am Thompson Malik, the Financial Director/Chief Account officer of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This Organization (INEC) was in charge of conducting Elections held in my country Nigeria on 14th and 21st of April 2007.Consequently, on April 2006, about US$90 Million was allocated to this Agency by the past Democratic Administration that is Governing the Political Sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time. On disbursement of the (US$90 Million) which was meant for the organization and execution of the General Elections of 2007.

At the end of the whole exercise, only about US$55 Million of the total sum was utilized in conducting all the election, leaving us my agency (INEC),with a balance of US$35 Million .Having concluded all stages of the Election and the Government-elect already in power, it was left for my office to give account of all expenses incurred in conducting the elections.While balancing the account,I and the Head of Auditing Department (Audit Director INEC) who is my partner in this transaction have been able to use our influential positions to inflate our supposed expenditure thereby having the sum of US$21.5M (Twenty One Million,Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars Only) left for us to disburse from the (INEC) treasury account with the intention of transferring the funds out of the country to any reliable foreign bank account pending when we shall come over to your country and collect our percentage which we intend to specifically invest in your country. We are particularly interested in investing our share of the fund into Real Estate Business,this will also afford an opportunity of purchasing good property/house good enough to accomodate my family and I, as I have planned to resign from this position as soon as the fund is transfered into your account.

As the Chief financial Director of (INEC) I was in charge of all the funds mapped out for the supply/contracts, I have already given a break down of my expenses to the authorities concerned showing that out of the US$90 Million mapped for the project,that US$13.5 Million was the balance left in (INEC's) Purse.That means we have made it categorically clear to them that the Total Expenditure was US$76.5Million, instead of the official US$55 Million. Meanwhile,the US$21.5 Million which was acquired through over invoicing is currently deposited with a Financial Institution awaiting proper documentations and claims to transfer the said fund into your designated bank account.

NOTE: Our reason for contacting you in this confidential transaction is due to the fact that,as Top Civil Servant working under Government Establishment/Corporation,we are not allowed to operate foreign account as it is against the new Government Code of Conduct Bureau and based on this difficult situation, we have no other option than to ask for your Assistance in transfering this fund out.If you can handle this transaction for our joint benefit, please get back to me on the phone number above so that I can give you more details on this matter, as what is required now is to register you as a Contractor who supplied Voting Materials to our Agency for the April 14th 2007 Election (ie BALLOT BOXES/PAPERS)to enable the bank transfer the fund in your favour immediately.

NOTE:Your business status does not matter in this transaction,what matters is your ability to handle the amount of this magnitude. I want you to understand that this transaction must be kept in utmost confidentiality and secrecy because of my position here.

We will discuss the percentage due when we talk.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Thompson Malik

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam