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: "Steven Watson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <stevenwatson44@rediffmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 14:32:24 -0400
Subject: CONTACT

Dear Friend,

My name is Mr. Steve Watson. I am the Branch manager of (International Commercial Bank Limited Ghana Ridge West branch). I am 42 years of age and married with 3 lovely kids. It may interest you to hear that I am a man of PEACE and don't want problems, but am telling you this because its real and you are not going to regret after doing this transaction with me. I only hope we can assist each other. But if you don't want this business offer kindly forget it as I will not contact you again.

As the branch manager of the (International Commercial Bank Limited Ghana) it is my duty to send in financial reports to my head office at the end of each year. In my 2008 end of the year balance sheet report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the manager made Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and fifty thousand dollars in excess [12,750.000.00] which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of. I have since placed this fund on what we call ESCROW CODED ACCOUNT for a very long time without any beneficiary, as a staff of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this funds, this is why I contacted you, so that you can stand claim as the original depositor of this funds.

With my directives and the proper guides with the original documentation of the funds, which I will give to you, my head office after consultations with me, which I will certify you, will then make a wire transfer into any of your choice bank account. I will give you 40% of the total money, immediately the transaction is concluded, and the money in your possession.

And the account is now dormant and you will have to activate the account before they can make transfer after the activate the account you will then be given a secret code that you will use to contact my head office, before they can now make a verification from me for my branch I will now identification you as the beneficiary of the account ESCROW CODED ACCOUNT.

My head office will contact you for the transfer of the fund to your giving account in your country, after I must have identified you.

We will need a help of attorney who will go to high court and gotten all the documents and the payment release order in reference to the central bank of Ghana act no 1244x law of money act 1992.

After you have forward the document to my head office they will contact you for the release of the fund to your account in your country, after I must have identified you.

Call me, because I know that a business of this magnitude requires steady communication and update.
This is my private Conatct
Email: stevenwatson44@rediffmail.com
Phone: +233-540432516.
Hoping to hear from you.

Regards,
Steven Watson.

Anti-fraud resources: