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: "Economic & Financial Crimes Commission" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <infodesk012@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:07:17 +0530
Subject: Attention: Sir/Madam,

From Desk Of Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu
Economic & Financial Crimes Commission
Head Office,5 Fomella Street. Wuse II.
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja-Nigeria
 
 
                                              $.5 Million Dollars Compensation Fund.
 
Attention: Sir/Madam,
 
I am Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu. The chairman of ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL CRIMES
COMMISSION (EFCC). We are in alliance with the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) with its head Office here in Nigeria. We have been
working towards the eradication of internet fraud and scam Activities in Western
Africa and beyond with the help of United States Government (FBI), Britain, World Bank and the United Nations.
 
We have successfully tracked down many of the scam artists in various parts of West African Countries which includes (NIGERIA, REPUBLIC OF BENIN, TOGO, GHANA, CAMEROUN and SENEGAL). They are all presently in our custody here in Lagos Nigeria.
 
We have recovered some stolen monies from the scam artists. The United Nations Anti-crime department, United States Government and the INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) in conjunction with the UN poverty alleviation department have decided to compensate One Hundred scam victims, the beneficiaries includes the less privileged, disabled persons and earthquake victims around the World.
 
This email is being directed to you because your email address was found in one of the scam Artists file and computer hard disk in our custody here in Africa. You are therefore being compensated with the sum of $5 Million United States Dollars. We have also arrested some of scammers  who claimed to be barristers, bank officials, Lottery Agents and government officials who has money for transfer or wants to present you as next of kin and beneficiary of funds that do not exist.
 
Since your name appeared among the fortunate Beneficiaries who will receive a compensation of US$5 Million, we have arranged your payment through our swift card payment centre. Feel free to contact the Payment processing officer Mr. Edwin Davidson .The swift card has been specially prepared to enable you withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, the maximum is Five Thousand Dollars Only per day.
 
You are advised to contact the Payment processing officer Mr. Edwin Davidson Through his email below address.
 
Contact Person: Mr. Edwin Davidson
Email: edwindavi50@yahoo.com.hk
 
Kindly Provide the information below to enable him prepare your ATM Master Credit Card and your secret Pin to access it.
 
1) Your full name:
2) Residential address:
3) Phone/fax numbers:
4) Profession:
5) Scan copy of id/age:
 
Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu,
CHAIRMAN (EFCC).

Anti-fraud resources: