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: "TERENCE P. MCCULLEY" <g112@globomail.com>
Reply-To: usaembassy87@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:12:52 +0100 (BST)
Subject: GREETING FROM AMBASSADOR TERENCE MECCULLEY,


GREETING FROM AMBASSADOR TERENCE MECCULLEY,

UNITED STATES CONSULATE GENERAL LAGOS
2 WALTER CARRINGTON CRESCENT
VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS NIGERIA.
DEAR SIR


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 BARRACK 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 A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN EUROPEAN
HISTORY AND FRENCH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN UNIVERSITY OF OREGON IN
EUGENE, AND I ALSO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITÉ 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. MY IDENTITY CAN BE
VERIFIED BY SIMPLY CLICKING ON THE URL LINK BELOW:


HTTP://NIGERIA.USEMBASSY.GOV/BIOGRAPHY.HTML


HOWEVER,
FOLLOWING THE RESOLUTION OF THE MEETING HELD WITH HIS EXCELLENCY
PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA IN ABUJA
YESTERDAY WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL HOUSE OF SENATE, AN AGREEMENT
WAS REACHED THAT THE SUM OF $500,000.00 USD MUST BE PAID OUT TO YOU IN
THE FORM OF A COMPENSATION FOR ALL THE YEARS YOU HAVE WASTED IN WAITING
FOR YOUR FUNDS TO BE RELEASED. HENCE, THE $500,000.00 USD COMPENSATION
FUND HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO BE PAID OUT TO YOU IN THE FORM OF A
CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL BANK DRAFT DRAWN ON STANDARD CHARTERED BANK. THE
SAID BANK DRAFT WILL BE PACKAGED INSIDE A U.S EMBASSY OFFICIAL ENVELOPE
TO BE SENT TO YOU VIA POSTAL MAIL AT NO COST TO YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
AND THE TIME FRAME FOR DELIVERY IS 72 HOURS, WHICH IS 3 DAYS SINCE IT
WOULD BE SENT VIA A POSTAL MAIL SERVICE.


MEANWHILE,
A "CUSTOM CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE" MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE NIGERIAN
CUSTOMS AUTHORITY AT A FEE OF $155.00 USD FOR A FULL CLEARANCE
CERTIFICATION ON THE BANK DRAFT. HENCE, THE $155.00 DOLLAR FEE MUST BE
PAID WITHIN 24 HOURS UPON YOUR RECEIPT OF THIS NOTIFICATION VIA WESTERN
UNION OR MONEY GRAM, SO THAT ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE AHEAD
OF TIME. THE FEE SHOULD BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE "EMBASSY PROTOCOL
OFFICER" WITH THE BELOW INFORMATION:


RECIPIENT'S NAME:MACHI  ALEX
DESTINATION: LAGOS - NIGERIA
TEST QUESTION: PRESENT YEAR
TEST ANSWER: 2012
AMOUNT: $155.00 DOLLARS


PLEASE
TAKE NOTE THAT THE "CUSTOM CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE" AND THE BANK DRAFT
WILL BE PACKAGED TOGETHER INSIDE THE U.S EMBASSY OFFICIAL ENVELOPE FOR
IMMEDIATE DISPATCH TO YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. HENCE, YOU ARE ADVISED TO
COMPLY AS REQUESTED TO ENABLE ME DISCHARGE MY OFFICIAL DUTY ACCORDINGLY.


CONGRATULATIONS!!!
RESPECTFULLY YOURS,


TERENCE P. MCCULLEY
US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
EMAIL :( usaembassy87@gmail.com)
+234-803-117-25688


Anti-fraud resources: