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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: FBI<office@fbi.gov>
Reply-To: ustreasuryjacklew1@tlen.pl
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2016 10:18:14 +0300
Subject: FROM THE FBI...


Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 23rd, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY =
10278 NOTIFICATION OF YOUR PAYMENT. We believe this notification meets you =
in a very good present state of mind and health. We the Federal bureau of i=
nvestigation (FBI) Washington,DC in conjunction with some other relevant In=
vestigation Agencies here in the United states of America have recently bee=
n informed through our Global intelligence monitoring network that you pres=
ently have a transaction going on with the U.S. Department of Treasury as r=
egards to your over-due inheritance payment which was fully endorsed in you=
r favor accordingly. It might interest you to know that we have taken out t=
ime in screening through this project as stipulated on our protocol of oper=
ation and have finally confirmed that your inheritance payment is 100% genu=
ine and hitch free from all facet and of which you have the lawful right to=
claim your funds without any further delay. Having said all this, we will =
further advise that you go ahead in dealing with the U.S. Department of Tre=
asury office accordingly as we will be monitoring all their activities with=
you as well as your correspondence at all level. We were also made to unde=
rstand that a lady with name Mrs. Cathie C. Jones from Florida has already =
contacted them and also presented to them all the necessary documentations =
evidencing your claim purported to have been signed personally by you prior=
to the release of your inheritance fund valued at US$10,500,000.00 (Ten Mi=
llion Five Hundred United States Dollars), but the U.S. Department of Treas=
ury office did the wise thing by insisting on hearing from you personally b=
efore they go ahead on wiring your funds to the Bank information=92s which =
was forwarded to them by the above named Lady, so that was the main reason =
why they contacted us so as to assist them in making the investigations. To=
be very careful prior to these irregularities so that you don't fall victi=
m to this ugly circumstance. And should in case you are already dealing wit=
h anybody or office claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Treasury, yo=
u are advised to STOP further contact with them in your best interest and t=
hen contact immediately the real office of the U.S. Department of Treasury =
only with the below information=92s accordingly: NAME: Mr. Jacob Lew OFFICE=
ADDRESS: U.S. Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Wash=
ington, D.C. 2022. Email: ustreasuryjacklew1@tlen.pl In addendum, also be i=
nformed that we recently had a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the =
U.S. Department of Treasury, in the person of Jacob Lew with some of the to=
p officials of the Ministry regarding your case and they made us to underst=
and that your file has been held in a base depending on when you personally=
come for the claim. They also told us that the only problem they are facin=
g right now is that some unscrupulous element are using this project as an =
avenue to scam innocent people off their hard earned money by impersonating=
the Executive Secretary and the U.S. Department of Treasury office. In you=
r best interest, any message that doesn't come from the above official emai=
l address should not be replied to and should be disregarded accordingly fo=
r security reasons. Meanwhile, we will advise that you contact the U.S. Dep=
artment of the Treasury office immediately with the above email address and=
request that they attend to your payment file as directed so as to enable =
you receive your inheritance funds accordingly. Ensure you follow all their=
procedure as may be required by them as that will further help hasten up t=
he whole procedures as regards to the transfer of your funds to you as desi=
gnated. Also have in mind that the U.S. Department of the Treasury equally =
have their own protocol of operation as stipulated on their banking terms. =
Once again, we will advise that you contact them with the above email addre=
ss and make sure you forward to them all the necessary information which th=
ey may require from you prior to the release of your fund to you accordingl=
y. Should in case you need any more information in regards to this notifica=
tion, feel free to get back to us so that we can brief you more as we are h=
ere to guide you during and after this project has been completely perfecte=
d and you have received your inheritance funds as stated Thank you very muc=
h for your anticipated co-operation in advance as we earnestly await your u=
rgent response to this matter. Best Regards, JAMES B. COMEY FBI DIRECTOR.=20

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