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: "UBA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <uba2@qq.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 08:45:28 -0400
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF YOUR ATM CARD THAT WAS RETUNED BACK BY DELIVERING COMPANY

UNITED BANK  FOR AFRICA,
PLOT1261, ADEOLA HOPEWELL,
STREET, P. O. BOX 70381.
VICTORIA ISLAND,
LAGOS NIGERIA.
 
RE: NOTIFICATION OF YOUR ATM CARD THAT WAS RETURNED BACK BY DELIVERING COMPANY
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF UNITED BANK  FOR AFRICA WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE FEDEX DELIVERING COMPANY'S MANAGER (MR PAUL IKE OBODO) RETURNED BACK YOUR ATM CARD ($2.5,000.00) WE ISSUED IN YOUR NAME AND REQUESTED FOR CANCELLATION,ACCORDING TO HIM,HE SAID THAT YOU ARE NOT READY TO COMPLY BY SENDING HIM THE REQUESTED SECURITY KEEPING CHARGES IN OTHER FOR HIM AND HIS OFFICE TO PROCEED THE DELIVERING,THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS BANK HAS DECIDED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND ALSO TO KNOW WHY YOU FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE DELIVERING COMPANY.
 
MAY, I KINDLY INFORM YOU THAT OUR BANK HAS ALREADY PAID FOR THE DELIVERING CHARGES,THE ONLY AMOUNT YOU ARE REQUESTED TO SEND TO  COURIER IS JUST THE SECURITY KEEPING CHARGES WHICH THE COURIER COMPANY SAID THAT IT IS ONLY $75 , SO WE URGE YOU TO TRY AND SEND THE FEE TO THEM IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL OR WE GO AHEAD AND CANCEL YOUR ATM CARD
 
NOTE: OUR MANAGEMENT HAS DECIDED THAT WE WILL GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU FIRST BEFORE WE COULD PROCEED THE CANCELLATION OF YOUR ATM CARD, TO KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AND WHY YOU WANT TO ABANDON SUCH AMOUNT MONEY.
 
SO, I URGE YOU TO SEND THE NEEDED $75 TO THE DELIVERING COMPANY ASAP SO THEY WILL PROCEED THE DELIVERING IMMEDIATELY,
BELOW HERE IS THE  INFORMATION TO SEND THE $75 TO US ,
 
RECEIVER NAME....:
CITY/COUNTRY.....LAGOS- NIGERIA
QUESTION.........HOW LONG
ANSWER...........TWO DAYS
AMOUNT............$75
 
WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU URGENTLY,IF WE FAIL TO HEAR FROM YOU,WE WILL THEN ASSUME THAT YOU DON'T NEED YOUR CARD ANY LONGER,
THANKS FOR YOUR PATRONAGE.
 
YOURS FAITHFUL
PAUL MENT,
FOREIGN REMITTANCE MANAGER
UNITED BANK  FOR AFRICA

Anti-fraud resources: