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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: "EMMANUEL MENSAH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <emmanmensah@fastwebmail.it>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:54:47 +0100
Subject: Know this about your payment

I am Rev. Emmanuel Mensah ,the new Information and Database Analyst of the Treasury/Payment Investigation Department, International Commercial Bank of Ghana(ICB), Accra Ghana., I have to write you with my private email ID because of the content of the message. The earlier you pay attention to this particular email, the better for you. I noticed these abnormalities/irregularities in your payment file last week when I was going through several out-going payment files on my payment desk.
I have decided to contact you through this medium because your fund has been intercepted. The ICB of Ghana, Accra Ghana as the accredited commercial bank by the Apex bank here in Ghana under my Payment Desk has intercepted your funds as a result of fraudulent activities noticed among those that claimed to be helping you to receive your approved payment. I'm contacting you on trust and with absolute confidence that you should as a matter of utmost urgency pay attention to this particular e-mail from me and stop any further contact/communication with anybody, group or individual because apart from me,no other person is in the position to help you and get your approved funds transferred to your bank account in your country.
Your African partners who promised to help you are presently working with an officer of the bank to use your name ,intercept and divert your funds to another account that neither bears your name nor belongs to you. If you listen to me and follow my advice and directives I promise to put all logistics in place and all modalities worked out for a smooth actualization of your transaction and transfer of your approved funds into your account in your country without any problem within the next few working days of commencement of the project provided you adhere to my own advice and instructions.
I want you to contact me urgently upon receipt of this mail today.I will personally get any complications/abnormalities/irregularities caused by them corrected using my good office as soon as possible and ensure a successful transfer of all the funds into your account without any problem.
MY CONDITIONS:

1. After using my good office/position to accomplish the needful on your behalf, you shall give me 10% only of the total fund after transfer of all the funds into your account in your country.
2. I will prefer that you keep my involvement 100% secret and confidential even after the transfer is executed.
This is the only reliable channel for you to receive your approved payment otherwise all other efforts must be in vain.

Regards,

Rev. Emmanuel Mensah
Database Analyst.
IC Bank of Ghana. Accra , Ghana
+233540890022

Anti-fraud resources: