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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: BENNARD HEFSIBA <bennard_h@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: saladin1996@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:36:11 +0100
Subject: GREAT OPPORTUNITY OFFER

My name is Bennard Hefsiba, I work with Fidelity Bank Nigeria Plc. I will like
 
to confirm to you that am oblige to transact this business with you, I need your
 
assistance to stand as a beneficiary to the sum of $45.8millions united state
 
dollars lying down unclaimed in the bank I work, what really happened is that
 
during the course of our auditing last week, I discovered a floating fund in an
 
account opened in the bank in the year 20004 and since 2005 nobody has
 
operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the
 
records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [Heir/WILL]
 
hence the money is floating and if I do not remmit this money out urgently it
 
will be forfeited for nothing.
The owner of this account Mr.Ahmed Hassan Ghoubashi an United Arab
 
Emirate(Dubai) an Oil Merchant and great industrialist, who was a foreign
 
contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria, unfortunately lost his life
 
in a Car Accident including his wife and only daughter leaving nobody to claim
 
the money.
Ever since his death the money has been lying unclaimed. Now I need your
 
co-operation to claim this money because only someone from foreign country
 
can stand as the beneficiary and the Banking law stipulates that any money
 
lying unclaimed for six years will be transfered to federal government suspense
 
account of the  central bank of Nigeria. Please I need your assistance to achieve
 
this great chance because I do not wish this money transfered to Central bank
 
of Nigeria because it will be shared among the top directors, who are bad
 
people and will never help the less priviledge people.
No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the
 
account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well
 
that the account is a secret account. The total amount involve is $45.8million
 
United States Dollars only and I wish this money should be transfered into a
 
safe foreigners account abroad.I am revealing this to you with believe in God
 
that you will never let me down in this business .
I need your strong assurance that you will never let me down, I guarantee that
 
this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
 
protect you from any breach of the law. I will destroy all documents of
 
transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any
 
body/place.I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for
 
onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance
 
from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments.
 
Similarly, at the conclusion of this business, you will be given 40% of the total
 
amount, 50% will be for me, 10% will be for any expenses incurred during the
 
claiming process and remaining out of the 10% will be for the less priviledge
 
people, Please I want you to be honest with me because this money is a golden
 
oppurtunity to me and I do not want to lose it.
For the business to be effected i will need the following information from you :
 
1.Your full name:
2.Your full residential address:
3.Your direct telephone number and email address,
4.Your date of birth and occupation:
With all these informations I will sucessfully inputs your name in the necessary
 
files and also insert your information into the fidelity bank central computer as
 
the next of kin to the late depositor and the sole beneficiary of the unclaimed
 
fund after the demise of the depositor. Note that I need to insert your name
 
into the bank central computer and a file will be opened in your name, so with
 
these information i will definitely commence with the processing of the fund in
 
your name,so that when you are contcating the bank your name will appear in
 
the bank central computer as the next of kin to the late depositor. I want you to
 
know that this transaction is 100%risk free because all necessary documents to
 
prove u as the beneficiary will be processed with your name. I want you to
 
handle this business offer with utmost confidentiality and keep it as top secret
 
because my Bank must not know that I gave you this information.
Furthermore after the whole processsing of the fund in your name you will
 
need to contact the bank which I shall give you the contact information and the
 
required proofs which you shall offer the bank as the heir and you will apply
 
for the transfer of the fund to your bank account.After you might have applied
 
for the release of the said fund and as soon as your letter reach the desk of the
 
director an official and professional responce will be given to your letter of
 
application , an official verification will be followed to screen your information
 
contained in your application letter in the bank central computer and i assure
 
you that your information will be found in the bank central computer as the
 
next of kin,beneficiary and claimant of the said fund.
 
 
As soon as you are been confirmed as the next of kin , the bank director will
 
give you an official invitation to come down to Nigeria because there are
 
valuable and vital governmental certificate and banking documents that
 
required your original signature which you are to sign here in Nigeria
 
originally as the beneficiary of the fund before the release of the fund could be
 
effected. In this case i will advise you to apply for the documents to be sent to
 
you by courier service at your own cost meaning that you will have to pay the
 
courier fee that may be charged by the bank to enable the industry send you
 
the documents due to your inability to come down to Nigeria to sign the
 
documents.If this is agreed by you I want you to state it clearly in your reply .
Immediately you apply for the documents to be sent to you by courier service
 
the bank director will ask you to send the courier fee and as soon as you send
 
the courier fee the whole documents will be sent to you by courier service and
 
you will have these documents signed originally in accordance with the bank
 
procedure after you finish to sign the documents the fund will be released to
 
your account in the next 4 to 5 working days.
As soon as u receive the money in ur bank account,i shall take my leave to ur
 
country for my own share of the money and i shall settle down in your country
 
& invest there.I will also go into partnership business with u if u care but i
 
intend to go into REAL ESTATE and also i need you to promise me one this,
 
after we get this money we both must use in our share to help the poor, I hope
 
you understand me?.
If so pls act in accordance with me by sending me a mail with require
 
information needed for the commencement of the processing of the fund. Note
 
that your utmost confidentiality as regards this transaction is required. You
 
are to keep it top secret and confidential matters for us to progress,achieve our
 
aims and finally for security reason.
I look forward to your earliest reply to this issue, Contact me directly on email:
 
saladin1996@gmail.com  or call me on my mobile phone number
 
+2348022095118
 
Regards,
Bennard

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