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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: "United Nations" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jimov34@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:57:40 +0100
Subject: Contact Mr. Jim Ovia immediately for your Draft of $250,000,00

30/06/2010 ZENITH BANK COMPENSATION UNIT, IN AFFILIATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS. ATTN: How are you doing today? Hope all is well with you and family? You may not understand why this mail came to you. We have been having a meeting for the past four months which ended three days ago with the former secretary to the UNITED NATIONS in the person of Mr. Kofi Anna. This email is to all the people that have been scammed or extorted money from because of your contract payment execution in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$250,000.00 This includes every foreign contractors that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems or irregularities etc. We found your name in our list and that is why we are contacting you, these have been agreed upon and have been signed by the United Nations Board of Directors and Trustees. You have to contact Mr. Jim Ovia, our payment agent in West Africa, as he is our UNITED NATIONS representative in West Africa, contact him immediately for your International Bank Draft of US$250,000.00 This funds are in a Bank Draft for security purpose. He will send it to you and you can clear it in any bank of your choice. Therefore, you should send him your full Names and telephone numbers/your correct mailing address where you want him to send the Draft to you and tell him your file Reference below CR ALERT 77611 Contact Mr. Jim Ovia immediately for your Draft Person to Contact: Mr. Jim Ovia Email: jimov34@gmail.com Direct Line:+234-803-335-3383 Give him your file CR ALERT 77611 and you are free to contact him via telephone number which he will provide to you upon the receipt of your email. Thanks and God bless you and your family. Hoping to hear from you as soon as you cash your Bank Draft. Regards, Dr. Ban Ki-Moon. UN SECRETARY GENERAL (UNITED NATIONS

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