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: "Mr.Funsho Babatunde" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <funsh0b@ibibo.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:19:53 -0400
Subject: Are You Alive Or Dead Please Confirm???

Ugent Confirmation.
Are You Dead or Alive?.
Attn:
 
 
My name is Funsho Babatunde, I work in the Accounts and Audit
Dept. Cbn ,in the course of our General Auditing and Account revision
of the last quarter of the year 2011,we discovered that the Bank
Accounts belonging to some Benefactors have been changed on the basis
that the owners have died some time last year or have given out an
authorization note of change of data. (DEED OF ASSIGNMENT)
 
 
 
After the investigations, however, it was revealed that there are
Foreigners who are collaborating with Retired Staffs to make these
changes illegally without the knowledge of the Bonafide Benefactors
and one traced to your own change is this Mr.Howard Hays who said you
are dead, hence they have forwarded some documents of funeral service
held for you so as to divert your fund. They have also forwarded the
below bank account as the new account that will receive the approved
gazetted amount of $18,500.000.00.
 
 
Bank Name: Bank of America
Bank address: 510 Branson Landing Blvd. Branson, Missouri 65616
Bank fax: 417-337-5839
Account number:354006400237
Account name:Reba's
Routing number: 081000032
 
 
But we wanted to confirm if actually this is true and hence decided to
write to your email address which after 2 days from now and there is
no response, we will then know that you are dead indeed and go on with
the transfer. If proved otherwise by you that you did not die, please
forward to us all the related Benefactors particulars including your
Telephone number, contact address. These details from you will help to
assist us reach a conclusion that you are not dead.
 
Anything contrary to this claim will help us charge this man to court
and prosecute him while your fund will be paid to you immediately
without any further delay.
 
You have to get back to us on time for us to commence legal
proceedings against Mr. Howard L.Hays and his accomplices
if you are still alive and did not sent him.
 
We do await your positive response.
 
Yours truly,
Mr. Funsho Babatunde
Accounts and Audit Dept.
International Banking Unit.
Central Bank Of Nigeria
Tel: +2347089118143

Anti-fraud resources: