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: "Mr. Joe Ugoala" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <joe.ugoala01@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:23:27 -0600
Subject: Attention:Beneficiary,

DEBT MANAGEMENT OFFICE NIGERIA. NDIC Building (1st Floor) Plot 447/448 Constitution Avenue, Central Business District, P.M.B. 532, Garki Abuja, Nigeria. Attention:Beneficiary, Re-Swift Transfer of your foreign payment. It's My pleasure to contact you urgently to confirm from you if actually you know one Century-Amco Oil & Gas Enterprises,1325 Bent Tree Lane,Concord, California 94521 USA, who claimed to be your business associate/partner here in my country Nigeria . The said Century-Amco Oil & Gas Enterprises is claiming to us that you are Dead and he will like to change all the Information's that you gave to us as our bonafide beneficiary.This development is coming now that this Ministry want to offset all your outstanding payments to all our legal foreignbeneficiaries around the world in which your payment file was affected. As you may known, the total amount approved in your favor by the Federal Government of Nigeria is total sum of $23,000,000.00(Twenty three Million,United State Dollars).We need to confirm from you if it's really true that you are dead and If we did not hear from you it automatically means that you are actually dead and the information passed to us by Century-Amco Oil & Gas Enterprises is correct. You are hereby advised to contact me urgently through my email address as soon as you receive this message so as to know the true position of things with you, so that we won't make any mistake in remitting your out-standing payment to a wrong person/account. Your swift/Urgent response will help this ministry a lot. Please indicate US with your full Address (INFORMATION) and direct phone number for an easy communication on this effect and avoid effecting payment on a wrong account. Kindly adhere to their instructions,to enhance the speedy transfer of your funds. yours faithfully, Mr. Joe Ugoala. Head, Policy, Strategy and Risk Management Department.

Anti-fraud resources: