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: "Financial Misconduct Action Group" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info-fimag@mail.mn>
Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:51:31 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF BEQUEST

                              FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT ACTION GROUP
                         (MOTTO: RESTORATION OF EQUITY AND JUSTICE)
                                10 WHITEHALL, LONDON, SW1A 2DD
                                                         
Attention Fund Beneficiary,
 
RE: YOUR OUTSTANDING PAYMENT
 
The Financial Misconduct Action Group (FIMAG) was formed in October 2011 by a group of ten Activist Lawyers. FIMAG pursues and actualizes the payment of Contractors being owed mainly in Africa, Buyers of commodities (gold, diamond etc) who never received their commodities long after full payment to sellers, Beneficiaries of inheritance fund when the next of kin is deceased, People being owed for lotteries they won etc.
 
It has come to the notice of FIMAG that you have not been paid. There is urgent need to look into your case. We are aware that all manner of unscrupulous officials have contacted you. They will continue to contact you as long as your payment is still pending. You are advised to keep our contact/correspondence with you strictly confidential. If you inform the unscrupulous officials about our intervention, they will be alerted, hence they will try to erase some records that may implicate them.
 
Stop any form of correspondence with any office/official with immediate effect. For prompt action on your case, reply immediately and reconfirm the following:
 
1.        How much are you being owed?
2.        State the origin, e.g. executed contract, inheritance, lottery won e.t.c.
3.        Have you received any Card, bogus Draft or Cheque ?
4.        Was there any attempt to pay you with defaced cash?
 
Provide your direct telephone numbers, as it may be necessary to speak with you. Our telephone discussions are strictly on appointment. For prompt result, stop fruitless exchange of correspondence with offices/officials and take advantage of our intervention. We will hands-off if you do otherwise. Your full co-operation is needed. Provide the required information immediately by email in your response.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Richard Cole               
Coordinator, FIMAG
 
 
 

Anti-fraud resources: