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: Wang Cheng <wangcheng.ceo@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:53:47 -0700
Subject: PERMISSION TO REMIT US $45 MILLION INTO YOUR COMPANY OR PRIVATE ACCOUNT.

NNPC Towers
Central Business District,
Herbert Macaulay Way,
Garki, Abuja.

Dear Sir/Madam,

PERMISSION TO REMIT US $45 MILLION INTO YOUR COMPANY OR PRIVATE ACCOUNT.

It is my pleasure to write and inform you of a transaction involving
the transfer of USD $45,000,000.00 (Forty-Five million US dollars)only
into a foreign account for safekeeping pending my arrival for the
sharing with you as the account owner into which the money is
remitted. I am an accountant with the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Lagos and this money originated from over-invoiced
contract executed for the corporation some years back. This contract
has long been completed by a foreign firm and the contractor duly
paid. I now seek if you would permit the surplus to be remitted into
your account.

As a matter of fact, as a top government official and i cannot come
out openly to claim this amount. This is why i am looking for a
competent and honest company or individual abroad whose documents
would be tendered by us here in Nigeria as one of the contractors that
executed the project. However, I would wish to receive your personal
assurance that you would not sit on the money when it goes into your
account. More importantly, you keep this transaction confidential, in
order not to tarnish the confidence repose in the officials involved
in this transaction.

To effect this transfer, I therefore request the following: YOUR
ACCOUNT NUMBER, THE NAME OF YOUR BANK AND ADDRESS WHERE THE MONEY
WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO AND ALSO YOUR PRIVATE FAX AND TELEPHONE
NUMBERS FOR QUICK COMMUNICATION. Although we have not met or entered
into any kind of contract with you before as to know the extent of
your honesty, I personally want to believe that you are honest enough
and would not sit on the money if finally gets into your account. It
is on this note that I consider it proper to write you asking for your
permission and support to transfer this amount into your account.

You should not fear any risk because I have concluded arrangement to
safe guard you in the transaction. This business is 100% risk free.
Hence it requires high level of confidence and secrecy. Meanwhile this
is the breakdown of the sharing modalities: (A). 10% WILL BE USED TO
SETTLE TRANSFER CHARGES AND LEGAL PROTOCOLS. (B).40% IS FOR USING YOUR
ACCOUNT. (C). 50% OF IT WILL BE FOR ME THE ORIGINATOR. Be informed
that on completion of this business I will use part of my money to
invest in your country under your care. Please note that the transfer
operation will take seven to ten working days to be completed. Please
contact me by the above e-mail.

Sincerely,
Mr.Wang Cheng

Anti-fraud resources: