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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: "Steve Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <stev.rwilliams@secretarias.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2011 21:42:04 -0800
Subject: GOOD DAY Friend

Hello,
 
 
Having received series of complaints from all over the world concerning the difficulties and ill treatment been meted to foreign fund beneficiaries in their quest for their payments, the African Union in their wisdom resolved to tackle the Payment difficulties by consolidating all Payment bureaucracies in (our) one office to eliminate corruption and extortion associated with Contract, Inheritance and Lottery Payments. All Central Banks in Africa and their affiliate banks in Africa, Europe and Asia has been mandated by United Nations to execute all payments through our office as the Principal Supervising and Approval Authority.
 
 
To this effect, the Offices and Banks handling your payment has transferred your Payment file to our office. You are requested to reconfirm to our office your full payment details as re-assurance that you are the right person that is been owed. Once we verify and confirm that you are the person whose unfinished payment transaction file was transferred to our office, we will give you immediate assistance by making sure that you are paid within two weeks. On the other hand, if you have lost money to fraud orchestrated by Africans, please also report to us immediately with details for restitution to be worked out for you.
 
 
Our Office is responsible for the following:
 
 
1.Verification of all Payment transactions emanating from Africa or by Africans.
2.Consolidation and Execution of Payment for all verified genuine Beneficiaries.
3.Reimbursement and Restitution payment to all foreigners who have lost money to African scam.
4.Assistance in procurement of any document from any office involving genuine Payment transactions.
5.Legal Aid to any foreigner who needs a lawyer or Legal Document for his or her Payment purposes.
 
 
Finally it is to your own peril if you do any business in Africa or with Africans in any part of the world from henceforth without reporting, verifying or involving us to help you know if it is genuine or not and consequently assist you to
consummate it.
 
 
Regards
 
Mr. Steve R. Willams
 
African Union High Commission,
United Nations Annex,
Foreign Payment Operations,
19 East 47th Street,
New York, NY 10017,

Anti-fraud resources: