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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: "REV.JOHN G. EDWARD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrjohnedward302@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:32:38 -0700
Subject: FUND US$10.5MILLION APPROVED BY UNITED NATIONS

Full Headers Printable ViewINTERNATIONAL FUNDS AUDIT UNIT
UNITED NATIONS LIAISON OFFICE NEW-YORK, USA
870 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA 20-A NEW YORK NY 10017
OUR REF: US/NF/UN/XX2014
EMAIL:mrjohnedward302@yahoo.com
 
 
 
                          FUND US$10.5MILLION APPROVED BY UNITED NATIONS
 
 
I write to bring to you notice in regards to your fund payment release that has been over-delayed, be informed that in respect to this urgent matter I conducted a numerous investigation on this matter and realized that you have been dealing with wrong and fraudulent individuals claiming to have authority to release/transfer this money to you, during my investigation I personally contacted office of the Committee on International Debt Unit in Washington D.C USA, European Union Fund Unit (EUFU) and the Africa Union (AU) and was informed that you payment file has been marked as unclaimed funds.
 
Following my investigation I ordered that your payment file be re-open to enable my office order the funds release to you immediately through our Affiliate bank, Bank of America. However, I write to inform you that this office shall handle and monitor the release / transfer of your funds to ensure that your funds are release to you successfully. Today the United Nations have contacted the Bank of America to sign an agreement with them to handle the final release of your fund US$10,500,000.00 via Online Banking Transfer System
 
In accordance to this new funds release procedure, the only requirement from you is you have to open up an online account with the bank to enable you have access to transfer funds into your personal bank account successfully upon your readiness to comply with the Online Account Normalization them the bank will start the process immediately to set-up the online account on your name and I guarantee that you will have access to your fund for transfer into your account.
 
Reply to this email and furnish us with the listed below information as soon as possible and I shall give you further instructions and to direct you on how to contact the Bank of America online paying unit.
 
FULL NAME........................................
POSTAL/ADDRESS....................................
GENDER............................................
PERSONAL PHONE/MOBILE NO:…………..
EMAIL ADDRESS.....................................
SCAN COPY OF YOUR IDENTITY........................
 
 
Thank you.
 
REV.JOHN G. EDWARD
Assistance Secretary United Nation
Liaison Office New-York, USA

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