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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: "UNITED NATION" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <investigationoffice758@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2012 20:21:47 -0400
Subject: UNITED NATION SCAM VICTIM COMPENSATION


WB/US-TH/UN/2012 UNITED NATIONS.
(WORLD BANK ASSISTED
PROGRAMMED)
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL
PAYMENT AND TRANSFERS.
WIRE
TRANSFER / AUDIT UNIT


Good Day:

DIRECTOR: WORLD FUND
DISCOVERY MANAGEMENT AND PAYMENT BUREAU.

This letter is from the United
Nation World Fund Discovery Management And Payment Bureau newly established by
the World Financial Service Authority United States Of America and Asia
Region.

This body was set up to discover an unpaid fund being owed to
Governments or Individuals all over the world through Contract Payment,
Inheritance and Lottery Winning Prize Awards.

It will interest you to
know that we have discovered an unpaid / unclaimed sum of money in favour of
your name and a mandate has been given to this body World Fund Discovery
Management And Payment Bureau to ensure that this fund gets to you without
delay. The funds in question was awarded to you for some time now and we have
sent several emails and memo to you to come forward and make the claims but you
failed to respond back to us.

Note that a special payment arrangement
has been made to remit this fund to you either through Telegraphic Wire
Transfer (Online Banking), Diplomatic Means of Payment or Alternatively come
in person to any of our payment offices in Europe, America, Asia, Europe or
Middle-East.

You are advised to furnish this office with your contact
information to enable us open up communication with you regarding the release of
your fund immediately.

Your Full Name
Your Complete Address
Name
of City of Residence:
Date of Birth (Day / Month / Year):
Mobile
Number:
Occupation:

Thanks and wishing you a prosperous new year.
Upon the receipt of your email and personal details, I will attach and send you
a copy of my United Nations ID Card for your confirmation /
perusal.


Yours Truly,
Dr James Williams

United Nations Under-Secretary-General For Internal & Foreign
Payment/Transfer.

Anti-fraud resources: