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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 Melissa K Joan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <melissakjon@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2014 10:35:40 -0800
Subject: UNCLAIMED FUND NOTIFICATION

WORLD DEBT FUND RECOVERY COMMITTEE (WDRC)
98540 EAST OLYMPIA
WASHINGTON DC
USA

UNCLAIMED FUND NOTIFICATION

I am Mrs Melissa K Joan of the newly inaugurated World Debt Fund Recovery committee (WDRC). My committee has a mandate to recover unpaid debts owed to various Contractors, lottery funds, inheritance funds, Loans and Grants ranging from USD$1M-$19.5Million owed to various Beneficiaries Contractors and Companies across the globe (Asia, Europe, USA, Africa, and Australia) and submit the list of the unpaid Beneficiaries, Companies and Contractors to the 2 appointed official paying Banks for immediate payment of the funds.

In the course of our investigation, your email address/particulars were shortlisted among the first set of the fifteen individuals yet to be paid hence this email. However, we received a petition today 10/09/2013 10:30AM from one Mrs. Christina Morgan that you are dead. According to her, your fund should be paid to her as the heir apparent. She has also submitted her Bank account with Bank of America for the transfer of the fund to her.

To avoid undue delay or paying the fund to wrong individual/beneficiary, I have decided to contact you for confirmation. If I fail to hear from you after 72 hours, it will be assumed that the petition of Mrs. Morgan is true and the fund will be paid to her without further delay.

Therefore, if you are still alive, reconfirm your particulars immediately to this office.

1. Beneficiary Full Name:________________
2. Address:______________________________
3. Nationality:____________Sex___________
4. Age:____________Date of Birth:________
5. Occupation:___________________________
6. Phone:_______Fax:_____________________
7. State of Origin:_______Country:_______
8. Driver's license:_____________________
9. Or copy of Int'l passport or any scanned identity to prove yourself and how you want your fund paid to you immediately for the attention of the paying officer and reply back to this email address:(melissakjon@yahoo.com.ph)
Yours sincerely


Mrs. Melissa K Joan.
Director of Operations
Department of Foreign Debt Remittance
World Debt Recovery Committee(WDRC).

Anti-fraud resources: