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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: "MRS MARIAM A. BETA." <aatmpaymentofficeinfo@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: atmpaymentofficeinfoa@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:26:32 -0500
Subject: ATM CARD PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

ATM CARD PAYMENT NOTIFICATION
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATION
INTERNATIONAL CREDIT SETTLEMENT,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

GOOD DAY,

THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT WE HAVE VERIFIED YOUR CONTRACT
INHERITANCE FILE AND FOUND OUT THAT WHY YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR PAYMENT IS
BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT FULFILLED THE OBLIGATIONS GIVEN TO YOU IN RESPECT OF YOUR
CONTRACT INHERITANCE PAYMENT.

WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING A SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE
ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH OUR SWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTER ASIA PACIFIC,THAT
IS THE LATEST INSTRUCTION FROM MR.PRESIDENT,ALHAJI UMAR MUSA YAR'ADUA
PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. AND EFCC NIGERIA. AS WELL THE INTERPOL
AND FBI.

THIS CARD CENTER WILL SEND TO YOU AN ATM CARD WHICH YOU WILL USE TO WITHDRAW
YOUR MONEY IN ANY ATM MACHINE IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, BUT THE MAXIMUM IS TWO
THOUSAND DOLLARS THREE TIMES PER DAY, SO IF YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND THIS
WAY PLEASE LET US KNOW BY CONTACTING THE CARD PAYMENT CENTER AND ALSO SEND THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER
3. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD TO
4. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION
PLEASE CONTACT THIS VERY OFFICE BELOW FOR MORE INSTRUCTION AND DIRECTIVE ON TO
RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD. REV. DR. WILLIAM DANIEL DIRECTOR, ATM PAYMENT
DEPARTMENT EMAIL: (atmpaymentofficeinfoa@yahoo.com).

THE ATM CARD PAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE UT $3,700,000.00 AS
PART PAYMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2012.ALSO FOR YOUR INFORMATION, YOU HAVE TO
STOP ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OTHER PERSON(S) OR OFFICE(s) TO AVOID
ANY HITCHES IN RECEIVING YOUR PAYMENT.

EMAIL ME BACK AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR FURTHER
DIRECTION AND ALSO UPDATE ME ON ANY DEVELOPMENT FROM THE ABOVE MENTIONED
OFFICE.NOTE THAT BECAUSE OF IMPOSTORS, WE HEREBY ISSUED YOU OUR CODE OF
CONDUCT, WHICH IS (ATM-Y2K7) SO YOU HAVE TO INDICATE THIS CODE WHEN CONTACTING
THE CARD CENTER BY USING IT AS YOUR SUBJECT.

MRS MARIAM A. BETA.
CHIEF AUDITOR TO THE PRESIDENT
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

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