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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: "Richard Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sales.alpsexports@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2013 22:20:56 +0100
Subject: APPROVAL OF YOUR FUND VIA THE INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEM

PNC Bank
Foreign Operation Department
249 Fifth Avenue, One PNC Plaza,
Pittsburgh, PA 15222,
United States of America.
Ref: US/PA/PNC/PT-007806/13
 
Attention: Short-listed Beneficiary
 
APPROVAL OF YOUR FUND VIA THE INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEM
 
This is to inform you that we have today reached an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Federal Reserve System (FRS) for the settlement of your contract inheritance fund, however, the International Finance Corporation has mandated the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to issue your fund exchange control immunity for the release of your contract inheritance fund.
 
In Collaboration with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Network, we have been instructed to release the sum of US$20.1 million as your contract inheritance fund as directed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Federal Reserve System (FRS) respectively.
 
As the Chief Financial Officer of the PNC Bank, the release of your fund has been processed through our International Payments System on Real time gross settlement systems (RTGS) as approved by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Federal Reserve System (FRS) for expedite release of your fund to you.
 
More so, your fund have been approved for release to you by our accredited International Payment system through Ktt Wire Transfer into your bank account, and you are requested to re-confirm to us the following;
 
(a) Your Full Name
(b) Your Contact Address
(c) Your Telephone and Fax number
(d) Your Occupation
(e) Your Bank Details.
 
Lastly, you are warn to desist from any further communication with any office (s) to avoid miss-conduct or miss crediting of fund.
 
We bank in your response
 
Richard Johnson
Chief Financial Officer
PNC Bank.

Anti-fraud resources: