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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: "Terence P.McCulley" <autotoja@autotoja.lt>
Reply-To: usambasadortonigeria@qatar.io
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:55:06 +0100
Subject: US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA



--
US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
11 GARKI ROAD ABUJA
ABUJA, NIGERIA
ATTN:

Attention My name is Terence Patrick McCulley, the new United States
Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The United States Senate
had confirmed my nomination on August 5 2010 after being nominated for
this position by U.S. President Barack Obama on June 28, 2010. My
credentials as the new Ambassador appointed were presented to His
Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Presidential Villa
in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 2, 2010.

I am a career member of the senior Foreign Service with the rank of
Minister-Counselor whose diplomatic career has been spent mostly in
Africa or working on African issues. I served most recently as the
Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, DenmarK.
Prior to this, I was the U.S. Ambassador to Mali, and I have served as
Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Tunisia, Senegal and
Togo.

Other overseas postings include Niger, South Africa, India and Chad. In
Washington, I was the senior desk officer for Zaire (now Democratic
Republic of
the Congo), and Deputy Coordinator for Iraq Assistance. I hold Bachelor
of Arts degree in European history and French language and literature in
University of Oregon in Eugene, and I also attend the Universitй de
Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France, from 1979-1980 as a Rotary Foundation
Graduate Fellow, and also attend the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy.

HOWEVER I SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR AN OFFICIAL MEETING AND I
WILL BE BRINGING YOUR DELAYED FUND OF $15.5M ALONG WITH ME BUT THIS TIME
I WILL NOT GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE AS AN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA, I AM
A US GOVERNMENT AGENT AND I HAVE THE VETO POWER TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS.

YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH IN THIS DELIVERY THAT MAKES ME WONDER. YOU
ARE A VERY LUCKY PERSON BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING IT MYSELF AND THERE
IS NOTHING
ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT.

SO RE-CONFIRM THE INFORMATION BELOW SO THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY
MISTAKES:

1) YOUR FULL NAME:
2) YOUR CURRENT HOUSE ADDRESS:
3) DIRECT TELEPHONE:
4) OCCUPATION & AGE:

AS SOON AS I AM THROUGH WITH THE MEETING I SHALL THEN PROCEED TO YOUR
ADDRESS.

MY FLIGHT IS THIS MONTH AND I EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY BEFORE THEN SO THAT
THE DELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY, THEN IT WILL NOT
BE MY FAULT IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR PACKAGE.

REGARDS,
US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA

Anti-fraud resources: