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: "FRED EZE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr_fredeze2011@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:55:37 -0000
Subject: NNPC OIL

CONFIDENTIAL
PRIVATE AND STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: FRED EZE.

ATTN: THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THIS LETTER WILL NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO YOU, OR CAUSE YOU ANY EMBARRASSMENT SINCE WE NEITHER KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE, NOR HAVE HAD ANY PREVIOUS CONTACT OR CORRESPONDENCE.
I AM FRED EZE, AN ACCOUNTANT GENERAL WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION [NNPC], AND ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONTRACT AWARD COMMITTEE [CAC].

I WAS WELL INFORMED OF YOUR STRONG HOLD IN BUSINESS OVER THE YEARS, AN INCENTIVE THAT INDUCED ME TO WRITE YOU TO SEEK YOUR ABILITY AT SUSTAINING THE CONCLUSION OF A PENDING TRANSACTION FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT.

WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE AN INSTRUMENT OF PAYMENT FOR $21.5 MILLION [TWENTY-ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) IN MILLION DOLLARS] WHICH IS NOW IN A DEDICATED ACCOUNT WITH THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.

THE ABOVE FUNDS CAME ABOUT FROM THE OVER-INVOICING OF CONTRACTS AWARDED TO A CONSORTIUM OF FOREIGN FIRMS IN 1994 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ELEME CHEMICAL AND LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS PLANT IN PORT HARCOURT WORTH $1.2 BILLION.

THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTORS HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL, HENCE THE $21.5M IN QUESTION IS THEREFORE FREE TO BE TRANSFERRED OVERSEAS UPON PROPER APPLICATION WITHOUT ANY RISK WHATSOEVER.

I SHALL EXPLAIN THE ORIGIN. IN THE COURSE OF DISCHARGING MY DUTIES I DISCOVERED THAT SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN THE PAST HAD COMMITTED SOME IRREGULARITIES IN THE FORM OF OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT VALUES WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY GO INTO THEIR PRIVATE BANK ACCOUNTS.
WHAT INTERESTED ME MOST AND IS THE REASON I AM WRITING YOU IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR WHICH WAS OVER INVOICED TO THE TUNE OF $21.5MILLION [TWENTY-ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) IN OUR RECORDS AND THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND COMMISSIONED.

THE CONTRACTORS HAVE RECEIVED FULL PAYMENT FOR THE CONTRACT EXECUTED, LEAVING BACK $21.5M WHICH REPRESENTS THE OVER-ESTIMATED VALUE CURRENTLY LYING IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.
BECAUSE OF THE HASTE WITH WHICH THE LAST GOVERNMENT WAS REMOVED FROM OFFICE, THESE MEN HAD NO CHANCE TO COLLECT THE MONEY BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE.

BUT AS A RESULT OF AN UPDATED PAYMENT ADVICE AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA IT HAS BEEN AWAITING TRANSFER TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT. IN MY REPORT I RECOMMENDED THAT THIS FUNDS SHOULD BE PAID, BUT ON THE CONDITION THAT THE CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE INFORMED.

MY RECOMMENDATION WAS ACCEPTED AND THERE WAS A MANDATE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE FOREIGN CONTRACTOR, BUT SINCE THE CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN PAID ALREADY, I NOW WANT TO DIVERT THIS MONEY TO ANOTHER FOREIGN ACCOUNT.

NOW MY PARTNERS AND I HAVE AGREED TO SOURCE OUT A RELIABLE OVERSEAS PRIVATE [PERSONAL] OR COMPANY ACCOUNT TO TRANSFER THESE FUNDS TO WITHOUT RAISING DOUBTS.

THIS IS THE ASSISTANCE WE SEEK OF YOU. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE ACCRUAL OF THESE FUNDS, IT HAS TO BE APPLIED FOR BY A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR/COMPANY AND PAYMENT CAN ONLY BE PAID IN A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, HENCE THIS CONTACT IS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS DEAL.
YOU AND YOUR COMPANY WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH 30% OF THE AMOUNT AS THE ACCOUNT OWNER, 5% SHALL BE SET ASIDE FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF ALL EXPENSES THAT WILL BE INCURRED BY BOTH PARTIES IN THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION.

THE REMAINING 65% IS FOR ME AND MY PARTNERS. WE SHALL URGENTLY REQUIRE OF YOU THE FOLLOWING BY FAX OR E-MAIL

1] NAME, TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS OF THE BENEFICIARY
2] NAME AND FULL ADDRESS OF THE COMPANY
3] COMPLETE PARTICULARS OF THE BANK ACCOUNT WHERE YOU WISH TO THE FUNDS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE THE ACCOUNT NUMBER, BANK ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS.

MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE HAD SOME FRUITFUL DISCUSSION WITH RELEVANT TOP OFFICIALS OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE [FMF]. AN APPLICATION FOR THE FUNDS RELEASE SHALL BE MADE TO THE APPROPRIATE MINISTRIES IN FAVOUR OF THE BENEFICIARY [YOU AND YOUR COMPANY].

THEREAFTER, YOUR COMPANY WILL BE OFFICIALLY REGARDED AS HAVING EXECUTED THE CONTRACT FOR THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM [NNPC] FOR WHICH PAYMENT IS BEING MADE.

THIS PROCESS MAKES THE OPERATION LEGAL AND ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA. HOWEVER, BEFORE FURTHER DETAILS OF THIS LAUDABLE TRANSACTION WILL BE REVEALED TO YOU, I MUST BE CONVINCED OF YOUR INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY.
PLEASE TREAT THIS AS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AS WE ARE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO WOULD NOT WANT ANY EXPOSURE. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT RESPONSE
PLEASE REPLY STRICTLY TO mr_fredeze2011@yahoo.com

BEST REGARDS FRED EZE.

Anti-fraud resources: